Thursday, Thursday
by Corey YoungBlood
Summary: A day that should have gone like any other results in everyone's lives coming to a tragic end, including Arthur's. So in desperate need of help, he makes a deal that will change his life and everyone elses for the worst. A fate WORSE than death? A fate repeated, but never escaped... /femMerlin-Arthur Friendship only/1st FanFic/OCs added/Please R&R :)
1. Prologue: We all wish

**THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**Prologue ****– We all wish**

**...~~TT~~...**

(Arthur's POV)

We have always wished at one point that we could go back and do things differently.

A farmer would go back to make sure he never broke his ankle out in the fields that cost him his job and independence.

A knight would go back to see the birth of his young wife's first son instead of drinking and gambling the night away in a tavern with his friends.

An innocent child would go back to save her dog from running into the way of a horses' stampede that was of her doing.

A criminal would go back as far as his childhood to save himself from murdering his father and costing himself a lifetime in guilty chains.

A king would go back 20 years so stop magic tampering with life and death, resulting in the miraculous birth in a baby boy, and the tragic death of a gentle queen.

What we don't realise is that even something as small as a blink of an eye that wasn't meant to be, can change the course fate had planned, and for the worst.

…**~~TT~~…**

The air was tense.

The space was limited.

The ground felt unstable.

The silence was deafening.

The smell was unbearable.

The darkness was blinding.

The whole world had stopped.

The only life left on earth was right here. At least, that's what it felt like.

This all seemed too familiar and yet, this had never been before. Certain of it.

The tension, the limitation, the instability, the silence, the darkness, the disability of motivation in the world's turning… this all greeted me like an old friend yet still felt like a stranger's first touch. A slap in the face. A crack in a frozen lake. A lover's betrayal… A friend's death.

All the things that should be feared in life yet aren't ever expected to happen; they have to happen to somebody else. Just never to you.

So this is where I was, once again staring into death's cold, ugly face, while everyone else turned away.

White particles hung in the air around us like fog, old wood creaked threatening to collapse, the rising sun beamed through the boarded up windows, highlighting red. How can anyone forget this scene?

Twenty-Two of my strongest guards surrounded the outside (at least I hope so), five of my most trusted knights inside with me and my two loyal servants by my side, witnessing the same as I.

A spark went out somewhere in the confined space, sending a chain of fire travelling quickly across the air leading to the end of the line. The end of the road.

All the present life in the area could only watch as the world changed from white to red, and feel as the cold early morning air changed to agonising heat.

This was not the end, I thought to myself. This is the beginning of the end, the beginning of the beginning of the end. I knew what would happen, yet it was new every time. I won't remember tomorrow. And the same word always came out, surrounded by screams. As if it would do any good.

"_Noooooooooooooo_!"

The explosion rung out throughout the whole of the kingdom, was how the event was told.

It would be the greatest tragedy in Camelot since my mother's death. If the day didn't always stop there.

The death of Twenty-nine brave men (including myself) and one innocent girl.

All because of a wish, a wish I made. And it was granted.

Guess what it was.

…**~~TT~~…**

We have always wished at some point that we could go back and do it all differently. Ever had a sense of déjà vu? You're trapped in Hell. Get out.

If you haven't… You have no idea how lucky you are.


	2. Waking up in party land

**MERLIN - THURDAY, THURSDAY**

**Full Summary****: **Camelot has seen dangers and threats carried out everyday. But this threat appears to never go away. Everyone in the kingdom is subconsciously forced to live the same dreadful day over and over again until the mistake that was caused the first time never happened. It's up to the crowned prince to save his friends from their terrible repeated fate; otherwise they will never be free. But how can Arthur escape from something he doesn't know he's trapped in?

**AN: **Hey everyone. So here's the first proper chapter of my first story. I hope you enjoy :) This is one of the stories for my 'ImagineThat' series. A series where you have to imagine what happened before and after the story. It has a few changes to the original Merlin obviously but I hope you like.

…**~~TT~~…**

_"In a land of myth, and in a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young girl. Her name... Merlin."_

**...~~TT~~...**

I must admit, being crowned Prince of Camelot does have its down side.

Everyone believes the royal family's lives are plentiful, peaceful, delectable and dull.

In many cases they are right.

But there were days when that could not be further from the truth.

Of course, I have been on many perilous adventures, fought many dangerous beasts and lost many dear companions and friends in my quest to form a better Camelot. Yet when nothing happened, the people forgot about the damage to the walls and the decrease in the city's population and carried on as normal.

I couldn't help but wonder if the people of Camelot took me for granted. I had saved the Kingdom so many times, maybe the men and women of a kingdom that had seen so much death and destruction, felt that there's nothing to fear because I could get them out of the mess easily.

Easily indeed.

I sometimes think to myself what everyone would do if something happened to me, leaving them defenceless, future-less and hopeless. And lots of other words ending in "less".

What if something unexpectedly tragic happened to every one of Camelot's defences so the whole kingdom would fall. Hardly worth thinking about. I was only curious. But that would show them.

But these thoughts were jolted from my mind as I awoke that morning to a loud crashing noise coming from outside in the courtyard. I stared up at the canopy of my bed and stretched, before realising…

_Why did I feel wet_?

(_Normal POV_)

Without looking down, Arthur prodded with by fingers around the damp sheets that were sticking to his half-clothed body. He slowly peeled them off and swung his legs round to the side of his massive bed to sit up.

His bare feet hit the floor with a splash, red dots flying onto the fabric of his breeches. _What!_

He still felt pretty dozed from sleep, and had a pounding headache. Raising a hand to his head and rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the other, he surveyed his surroundings. Several goblets were left all over the wooden floor, some with the wine they had contained all over the floor, like the puddle that was under Arthur's feet.

There was a rag thrown over the dying fire in the fireplace on the other side of the room, filling the room with a burning smell, and a small wave of smoke was slowly making its way toward the nearest exits; i.e. the open window and the gap under the door. His wardrobe door was hanging open and all his tunics hung out or were scattered on the floor. _It sure looked like they had let the horses loose through here_.

"That's just great" the prince snarled to himself. He looked behind him out the window. It was almost Noon!

"Son of-" Arthur hissed again and pushed himself off from the bed and began rushing around trying to get ready. Obviously, Arthur thought, his idiot servant hadn't come in at all yet today to clean up or even wake him up.

Skidding to the wash bowl and avoiding stepping in any more wine puddles, he realised the water that was in it had been there for days, and there's wasn't even much of it. AND he didn't have time for a bath. Reaching the wardrobe Arthur picked up one of the tunics that had dropped on the floor, and found the whole front soaked in wine. He grabbed another one. More wine stains. And another. All of them had been ruined!

Swearing again under his breath, Arthur roughly tugged on the shirt with the least amount of wine down it and coughed as he inhaled a fairly large gulp of smoke.

The prince rushed to open all the windows and went to the fireplace, and used tongs to take the rag from the cinders, only to realise it was another one of his tunics.

"Guard!" He called while using his spoilt clothes to mop up as much wine from the floor as he could. He would never live it down to let a guard see him on his hands and knees cleaning his own chambers, but he'd rather that happened than to let the wood absorb the red wine and make it look like he had murdered several servants at the same time last night.

A few seconds later, a guard appeared through the door.

"Sire, are you alright?"

"Am I alright?!" he asked angrily getting up from where he kneeled. "Oh I'm super, thank you. Could you grab the next servant you see- actually better make it six, and send them here to clean up please. I'm really late."

"Uh… yes, yes sire" the man stuttered, stepping aside for the prince to brush past him.

Speed walking down the open North corridor, he spotted Merlin and called to her.

Merlin turned from wear she stood, the hem of her light blue dress spinning as she did and she threw up her hands in relief.

"Arthur!" She replied walking to meet him half-way.

"I know, I know, I missed council meeting." He said exasperatedly, throwing his hands up in the air to match her. Not stopping in his walking or his pace, Merlin turned again and tried to keep up with him.

"You didn't miss the meeting; you're very LATE for the meeting. Your father had everyone take a break before they'd even started. He sent me to look for you. On pain of stocks"

"Well why weren't you even at my chambers to wake me up then, _Mer_lin?"

"You gave me the morning off this morning, remember Arthur? Before you dismissed me last night you said you'd be able to get yourself ready today, I said you really shouldn't because you and I both know what a hangover you get after your little private parties you have. So if anything, it isn't really my fault that you're late." Merlin's speech went quiet towards the last few words with Arthur's glare on her, so she looked down at her moving feet, hands nervously playing with her hair that hung down one side of her face in a plait.

Then she added quietly "…I'll take the blame, sire. Rotten tomatoes for me sire."

Arthur nodded in approvable and moved his gaze back to the path in front of him. And so soon they came to the big wooden doors to the council hall. Merlin placed her hand on Arthur's upper arm to stop him as he was about to enter.

"Why WERE you late, Arthur?"

Arthur sighed. "Later, Merlin."

"Do you realise that that tunic's got wine down it? And you STINK of wine."

"Later, Merlin."

And they both entered the hall.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: ** This chapter really is a picture painter, a ball roller :) Hope you liked. Reviews are much loved.


	3. The meeting and the merry way on

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hey guys, here's the second chapter of the story. Before we move on, just a few things to go over so there's no confusion. There's a character named Colin who's also Arthur's servant when Merlin need help or isn't there. There's also a Lady Elise whose Uther's new French ward after Morgana left to be evil. If there are any more confusing things, don't hold your peace. Off we go then :) Enjoy

…**~~TT~~…**

_(Arthur's POV)_

Hearing our arrival, father turned to glare at us, me more than anyone else. Merlin separated from me leaving my side cold and lonely to join Guais, Gwen and Colin at the edge of the room, while I went to stand next to the King at the front.

I gave a nod of greeting to Lady Elise on his opposite side who gave one back, turning her gaze back in front of her. She seemed slightly on edge, but I dismissed the look she gave the hall as father began to speak.

"This information as usual must not leave this room. Any suspected of leaking the information will be punished severely" There was only a silent pause as everyone gave eachother shifty looks across the space between them. So he continued "Now as you all know there have been reports and evidence of bandit activity during the last two months. There are menacing conspirators hidden along the boundaries of the kingdom. Fortunately, our faithfully anonymous source, who has helped in the tracking down and arrest of three separate parties over the last month already, has once again given us word that another has been seen near the Northern Borders. They're stealing food, they're taking livestock in the night, they're setting fire to anything in their paths, and they're also attacking innocent farmers." He turned his head to look me in the eye "Arthur, you know what to do."

"Yes, father" I replied, then addressed the room "I will need Twenty-Two guards to accompany me to the Northern Borders. Sir Leon, Sir Lancelot, Sir Gwaine, Sir Percival and Sir Elyan, be prepared to leave within the hour." I looked back to my father to indicate I had finished.

"Very good, council is dismissed." The King declared and everyone started to file out. As I was half-way across the floor where Merlin joined me once more, a deep voice rung out "Arthur, a word please."

I looked to my father who was facing away from me looking onto the courtyard below and swirling wine around the goblet in his hand. I spun back round to Merlin, who was standing there patiently with her hands clasped together in front of her.

"Merlin," I whispered lowering my head so only she could hear me, her ocean blue eyes looking up to meet mine. "I want you to prepare too. Get into your boy clothes, tell Colin to pack food for a three day trip and get everything together including weapons. And grab an extra sword for yourself, Merlin. I don't want last time's… situation to happen again."

A cheeky smile broke out on my maidservant's face.

"Awwww Is little prince Arthur worried about his servant?"

Being answered by one of my brilliant signature glares and exasperated huffs she added in the most innocent voice she could "Okay Okay I'm going. Oh, and I'll also try not to spill a whole barrel of wine down myself on the way to my chambers like some clumsy prat I know!" She giggled as I tried to grab her and she ran out the door, unfortunately avoiding a clap over the head.

Hearing my father call my name again, I reluctantly went to get the explanation over and done with.

…**~~TT~~…**

Night fell, and after about eight hours of non-stop riding, my twenty-two strongest guards, five most trusted knights and my two loyal servants Merlin and Colin and I settled down in camp.

While most of the guards prepared their beds for the evening, Merlin and Colin joined me and the others round the fires which were cooking many deer we had hunted earlier. Well… The GUARDS had hunted them. As usual, Merlin and Colin scared all the game I was hunting away.

"So," Merlin started, seizing a spear stick and stabbing a deer leg on it and passing it to me "What happened this morning then that made you realise that you couldn't last a few hours without me?"

"Really Merlin, I have lasted days without you around when you mysteriously disappear to God knows where without my permission. As for this morning, well since I must have had more than a prince's fair amount of ale last night, I awoke this morning (nearly afternoon) to find that the knights had just left without cleaning up and there was wine everyway, which I had slipped in-"

I was interrupted by a short quiet scoff coming from Colin who was sitting on my opposite side tucking into his own dinner. Giving him the previous glare I gave to Merlin, he looked the other way to avoid looking at me. I turned back to Merlin "-so realising the time, I had to wash myself with foul, stagnant water that hadn't been emptied out by some disobedient servants I know! Then finding a burnt shirt on the fire and most of my clothes drenched in wine or some just not folded properly, I had to make do with the least wine stained tunic in my room. Did I mention that I tripped twice on the way to the hall?"

"No."

"Damn it, you didn't hear that!"

"Yes we did" Colin sung, once again joining our conversation and beginning to laugh. "You're turning into one of us, Arthur. Admit it! One of us. One of us. One of us!-"

Merlin joined in on the chanting and the two started slowly leaning towards me acting like the living dead about to eat my brain. Since Merlin and Colin were so similar in character, it was surprising they weren't brother and sister. In some ways it was quite a disturbing thought.

Soon even the knights joined in and it quickly led to me being chased around the clearing avoiding being grabbed as it became a game of _Catch the prince, tackle him to the ground and tickle the hell out of him_. As usual, Merlin won (but only due to a conveniently placed rock in my path). The whole camp filled up with the sounds of my laughter and shouts for mercy and the happy laughter of two dozen men's and one girl's giggles of victory.

…**~~TT~~…**

Watching the actions of the day play out since it begun, a figure stood hidden in the shadows of the trees – desperately wishing certain words were never said.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Hope you liked. More still to come obviously. Thanks for the revvies. Reviews are much appreciated :)


	4. Countdown to the present or the past?

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hi, People here is chapter 3. Thanks for your reviews :) Making Colin seem like the Merlin from the show is exactly what I was going for. And remember Merlin is a girl in this :) Yes who is this mysterious figure that has been watching them? All will be revealed, just not right now ;p Enjoy!

…**~~TT~~…**

_(Normal POV)_

If Arthur said to himself that today was a unique one, he would be lying.

Then again if he told himself the opposite, that too would be a lie.

Lady Elise's face had been stuck in my mind since we left. Why had she been so on edge?

Riding in the middle of the small sea of guards and knights through the forests wasn't unusual, for he had done nothing but that for the past month. But there was something, he thought, that felt a little too familiar about their actions today, of all days.

The trees were the same, the path they were taking was the same, the late night air they drew breaths from was the same, the intense feeling of '_This is _it' was the same.

Yet entirely new.

After the little break they had from the decreasing morale of the night, involving a lot of running and tickling, the prince had been given word from a guard coming back from patrol of the surrounding area, saying that they had tracked the bandit party to only some ten minutes away from their camp.

That's where they were now. Riding slowly in silence around the North boundaries until they saw a sign to stop. The forest had become quite dark and eerie in the last five minutes and it became increasingly hard to see and keep quite when the whole forest had stopped breathing.

Arthur threw his hand in the air quickly, a signal for all the knights to stop.

_(Arthur's POV)_

There were sounds up ahead about 500 yards away. Voices, and sounds of woods being chopped.

I put my hand in the air to stop the riders, and dismounted quietly. Everyone else followed suite.

Until there was a _thud, _and an "_Ow!"_. I turned round sharply to see Merlin sprawled out on the ground beside her horse being helped up quickly by Colin and one of the guards. I rolled my eyes at her and all she could do was wince apologetically to everyone. We waited a moment to make sure the bandits ahead didn't hear Merlin's little show and I motioned for the knights and guards to unsheathe their weapons and follow.

Soon we reached a wide clearing, mist covering all of the ground, no breeze in the still air (or lack of). There was a slow running river on the left, and next to it, there was a building.

"What is it?" Colin whispered.

"It looks like some sort of mill." Merlin added.

"It's an old flour mill" Arthur whispered back "Now shut up, both of you. They're inside."

Moving closer to the mill, I could see that there was light in the smashed windows, probably only one candle burning so they wouldn't draw attention to themselves in the middle of the woods.

I turned to my men, and girl… and idiot.

"Guards, surround the mill and wait on stance. Knights, Merlin, with me, we are going in for the arrest. Colin… with me too, I can't trust you to not give us away."

"Thanks" he replied sarcastically.

While the guards circled the mill from the outside, Leon, Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival and Elyan, Merlin, Colin and I crept round to the door, hiding below the windows to avoid being seen by the men inside.

…**~~TT~~…**

They didn't show it, but I could tell that even though we had made many arrests before tonight, the men were nervous. And I couldn't blame them.

I moved to the other side of the door and signalled for Sir Leon to stand in front of it, ready to enter.

I looked around at the guards in their positions in the bushes circling the clearing, and the line of knights along the wall of the mill. I then glanced at Merlin, crouching in her 'boy clothes' (which consisted of brown breeches, red tunic with the sleeves rolled up to fit her and a dark brown leather sleeveless jacket that I lent her, and with her hair tied up), and she looked terrified, sword shaking in her hands. I motioned with my head to tell her to stand beside me. I knew she always felt a little more comfortable when with me.

I waited for the sudden uproar of laughter coming from inside before giving the order.

"NOW!"

And Leon kicked in the door.

…**~~TT~~…**

On the edge of the clearing, watching as the Camelot party stormed into the mill, the figure stood leaning against a tree out of the sight of any guard.

A tear slid down their cheek, their head pounding, their hands shaking.

The countdown had begun.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Hope you liked, Chapter 4 will follow soon :) Reviews are always welcome :p


	5. Silentium

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hi people here is the last part of the first part if that makes sense :p thanks for the reviews so far, they really make me smile :) Don't really know what to say other than Enjoy!

…**~~TT~~…**

_(Normal POV)_

"NOW!"

As soon as the order sounded, Leon kicked at the door, and it flew off its hinges. It landed with a _crash _onto the wooden floor, dust shooting into the air around it, and the bandits inside turned at the noise.

They heard a man shouting "GO! GO! GO!" Knights began piling into the building, swords drawn, and confining the group in a circle in the middle of the room.

When Gwaine called out, Arthur, Colin and Merlin entered, each equally with swords unsheathed. The prince made his way to the front of the group, and Merlin and Colin stood poised on his each side.

"Who is the leader?" Arthur called.

There was a moment of silence, before a big burly man stood right by Merlin spoke up.

"The name's Olever, little Prince" He answered, a little too calmly in Merlin's opinion. "And this is your trap. Men, door."

As soon as he said that, the door to the mill slammed shut, closing everyone inside. The rush of air being blown through the gap in the quickly closed door took out two candles. Only one remained dimly lighting the room. It had appeared that there were more outlaws in the party than first thought, and they had come out of the shadows, snuck around the knights and locked the door.

Taking their eyes off the men in the centre to the ones behind them, Arthur didn't see the leader, Olever, shift to his right and unsheathing a knife of his own.

Fortunately, Merlin did.

Unfortunately, Merlin did.

"Arthur, Look Out!"

"Merlin!"

Hearing Merlin's warning and Colin's shout, the Prince realised they had let their guard down and he spun round back to meet Olever with his sword in front ready to defend himself. But instead he met the back of his servant Merlin, standing in front of him facing the leader.

It wasn't until she swayed and fell to the floor did he then realise the blood glistening on the knife in Olever's hand.

…**~~TT~~…**

"Do you think they're alright, Guais? I always worry when so many have to leave on these missions. The more men Arthur has to take, the more serious and dangerous the situation is" Gwen asked the old physician while peering out the window, squinting at the invisible horizon.

"I'm sure they're all fine, Guinevere. Arthur's survived much worse, so have Colin and Merlin. All they have to do is make arrests" Guais replied as he walked around the physicians' quarters cleaning up his equipment for the night.

"I know, Guais, I know. I worry too much. I bet tomorrow afternoon they're all going to be marching through those gates being hailed and cheered, and the vile bandits being dragged behind them being pelted and sneered at the way they deserve."

Guais finished cleaning up and walked over to join Gwen at the window, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hear Hear, Gwen." He smiled.

…**~~TT~~…**

"Merlin!" Colin and Arthur cried out in unison, staring down at the body on the floor.

Colin went to dive to her side, but Olever signalled something to his men and all of Arthur's knights found themselves surrounded and aimed at by rugged men, each with loaded cross bows in their grasps.

_We only have swords. Why do we only have swords?!_

The whole room froze and became deadly silent again, as Arthur tried to think about what to do.

(_Arthur's POV_)

In the end all I could do was motion to my knights to back off, which they did hesitantly, but didn't put away their swords. They must have seen my order but I could see them taking occasional concerned glances at Merlin.

Out the corner of my eye I saw that Colin took a chance and rushed to kneel at her side. I saw him push Merlin up slightly so her head was cradled on his lap and supported by one arm, while the other tore her shirt in half to get to the bleeding wound in her stomach. His hand rested over it, applying the pressure and trying to stop any further blood loss.

Sighing shakily, he raised his head to the leader, Olever.

"Please… we have to get her out of here. She needs a physician." Colin's voice went quiet as if he was trying to stop himself from crying.

"No" Olever said, his voice on the other hand seemed a little too calm and confident. "The only ones getting out of here alive will be us if you don't reach our demands."

"You're not getting anything!" I yelled. There was no way I was taking them back to the city now. They will be killed on sight with the charge of attempted murder of an innocent. "You've just committed crimes worse than vandalism and theft. You have also committed attempted assassination of a crowned prince. And if Merlin dies, God forgive me for what I will do!"

"Sire!"

But it was too late. Gwaine called to me but before I could register what had happened, arrows flew across the small space from all directions towards my men and I.

Then all hell broke loose.

…**~~TT~~…**

_(Uther's POV)_

I stood staring out the window of the main hall with a goblet of wine in my hand. Thinking. Thinking of my son.

Arthur was a grown man.

Able to look after himself.

Okay, I didn't watch over him much as a child, but only now I was seeing him as I hope I always would.

A young boy.

Arthur had his own life to lead. Had his own selection of friends. Had oh … what's her name…? Marther? Marylin? Merlin! And that other servant, Colin.

There was something about those two that I could tolerate being friends with my son. And they had gone off with him on the mission. And they are nothing but children!

Those thoughts fled my mind with the mixture of wine and the sound of the doors opening. A moment later, Elise stood by my side holding a jug, to which she refilled my goblet. Out the corner of my eye I saw her set the jug down and join me in looking out the window at the black surroundings.

"Is everything alright, Elise, you seem distant today?" I asked, still not looking at her.

"Yes, my Lord, I'm fine." There was a long awkward pause before her voice once again echoed in the large empty hall. "I just have the strangest feeling…" and she paused again.

This time I turned towards her and saw her face was full over angst and discontent. "Feel what? Speak you mind."

"Well… Don't you think this all seems familiar to you?" She then locked eyes with me, and her eyes looked empty, exhausted.

"Have you been sleeping?"

"Do you, Sire? Please."

I sighed. "I really don't know what you mean, Elise. Why would any or this feel familiar?"

She looked away and huffed "Nevermind" and she started to walk out but I did catch what I thought she said to herself _Poor things. God Save them all._

…**~~TT~~…**

_(Arthur's POV)_

Where were the guards?! Surely they could hear sword fight going on in a little building from outside in a large quiet clearing in the forests!

We were outnumbered. Five to one. And two of us weren't able to fight. Okay, three. Four. Five.

Merlin. Colin. Lancelot. Elyan. Gwaine. All falling!

Clutching wounds.

Dodging arrows and swinging swords.

Using every bit of space we had to move, to get away. To run.

Dust and flour particles hovered in the air around us. Wooden rafters creaked above us. The bandits seemed unstoppable.

I collapsed on my knees trying to crawl to where Colin and Merlin were. I looked up in Colin's face to see tears sliding down his cheeks. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I looked down and placed the other hand on Merlin's forehead. It was too cold to the touch, too clammy. There was too much blood soaking into the old wood.

She opened her eyes to stare into mine. We both didn't know what to think. Her eyes were distant, like they were made of glass, her ocean blue eyes turning to grey right in front of me. I could feel tears of my own building up and blurring my vision.

Colin looked up so I did too. Seeing him looking up past my head I turned my head to see Olever, and he was holding the last candle in his hand, a sword in the other.

I then realised what was going to happen.

"Please… You're in charge of everything here. No-one has to die. It doesn't have to be this way." My voice cracked, trying to use the last amount of energy I had to stop this madness.

"We'll be far away by the time they find what's left of you. It DOES have to be this way!"

And with that everything went into slow motion. Then candle fell from his hand onto the floor next to us.

But our eyes weren't on the fire growing on the floor. It was on a spark that had separated from the candle in mid air and was catching onto every individual flour particle that floated around us, moving in a chain or orange across the room. Never taking my eyes off it I watched it as the snake of fire made its way towards the source. Bags of flour were stashed all along the right side of the mill and covering the entire wall.

Olever too looked horrified as he realised he wouldn't have time to run. All the others still didn't realise as they still swung their swords at eachother.

My last thought as I saw the fire about to reach the end was _forgive me. God save us all._

Then as my vision became nothing but red, an involuntary scream left my lips.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

…**~~TT~~…**

The fire illuminated her face against the moonless night sky.

The tears were finally allowed to fall.

She lowered her head in silent prayer.

Taking one last look at the scene before her, the burnt bodies of guards, the falling skeleton of the burning mill, the thick smoke that hurt the eyes, she turned around and walked away. Back to Camelot. Back to the castle. To watch the window of Arthur's bedroom.

Where she knew, the prince will soon be waking.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: ** Hope you liked. This was slightly longer than the others :P Please give my revvies I love 'em :)

Next chapter will be up within the week.


	6. Cycling around the unpreventable track

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hey guys. OMG people there's a serious case of Drabble bug going around at the moment :o Hope I don't catch it :p And okay I wish I had never gone on the internet to try and find spoilers for series 4 of Merlin. Coz now I can't wait! WHY DID I DO THAT TO MYSELF! …Sorry about that (cough cough). Anyway thanks to everyone's brill revvies I'm glad you all like it. Just so you know I've made a few changes to Merlin's appearance (not just coz she's a girl in this but other changes as well) so please don't freak or get confused.

And so we are back to the beginning once again, not that they know that (smirk). So enjoy :)

…**~~TT~~…**

I must admit, being crowned Prince of Camelot does have its down side.

Everyone believes the royal family's lives are plentiful, peaceful, delectable and dull.

In many cases they are right.

But there were days when that could not be further from the truth.

Of course, I have been on many perilous adventures, fought many dangerous beasts and lost many dear companions and friends in my quest to form a better Camelot. Yet when nothing happened, the people forgot about the damage to the walls and the decrease in the city's population and carried on as normal.

I couldn't help but wonder if the people of Camelot took me for granted. I had saved the Kingdom so many times, maybe the men and women of a kingdom that had seen so much death and destruction, felt that there's nothing to fear because I could get them out of the mess easily.

Easily indeed.

I sometimes think to myself what everyone would do if something happened to me, leaving them defenceless, future-less and hopeless. And lots of other words ending in "less".

What if some tragedy happened... no, no nevermind. Hardly the sort of thing to think about this early in the morning!

I awoke that morning to a loud crashing noise coming from outside in the courtyard. I stared up at the canopy of my bed, stretched and yawned, before realising…

_Why did I feel wet_?

_(Normal POV)_

Looking down, Arthur prodded around at the damp sheets that were sticking to his half-clothed body like sweat. He slowly peeled them off and swung his legs round to the side of his massive bed to sit up.

His bare feet hit the floor with a splash, red dots flying onto the fabric of his breeches. _Eh?_

Suddenly, he felt wide awake, if he hadn't of had a pounding headache. Raising a hand to his head, he looked around his chambers. Goblets everywhere, most of them with the wine they had contained all over the floor in large puddles, and Arthur had stepped right in the middle of one.

A rag was thrown over the dying fire in the fireplace on the other side of the room, filling the room with an awful burning stink. He also realised the wardrobe door was hanging open and all his tunics were scattered on the floor. _What the hell happened? Did someone let the horses loose in here?!_

"Son of -" the prince snarled. He went to the window, opened it, and leaned out. The noise that had woke him up came from a servant who was walking across the courtyard and must have dropped a noble's lunch tray tripping on a step _Merlin's clumsiness must be contagious_. Shaking his head he looked up at the sun high in the sky. It was almost Noon?!

"Oh Dammit!" Arthur hissed again and pushed himself off the windowsill and began rushing around trying to get ready. Obviously, Arthur thought, his idiot servant hadn't come in at all yet today to clean up or even wake him up.

To make things worse, he found all his tunics soaked in wine and had to bare the one with the least on it, he found another tunic on the burned out fire causing the smell, and had to cope with the humiliation of calling the guard to get a servant to clean his room, letting the guard see him make a lame attempt at the task himself.

_Am I alright, indeed! _He scowled at the man as he manoeuvred around him to get out into the hall.

He sped walked down the corridor, the hall just around the corner, when someone called out to him.

"Arthur!"

The prince stopped at the voice even though he didn't recognise it, and turned to see who it was. A woman, at least it seemed to be a woman, in a long blood red cloak glided toward him. He couldn't see her face, but her very long, very bright red hair was peering out from under the hood. She was walking very fast towards him, and Arthur saw two guards as they rounded the corner.

"Do I know you?" Arthur asked in confusion. He could have sworn he recognised this figure. Then again, if he had met her before, he would've remembered.

"Arthur," She said, slightly distraught and out of breath, "Don't go on patrol today. Don't let your men go either, or Merlin. Please!"

"I'm sorry, am I suppose to know you?"

Before she could see anything else, she realised she was caught by the guards.

"Sorry Miss, you're not supposed to be in this area without clearance from the King." As they began to gently lead her away she called back, a little more calmly.

"If you walk in that mill, you'll all die."

Watching the corner of her cloak disappear around the corridor, Arthur gave himself a shrug as a cold wind hit him between the shoulder blades, and carried on towards the council hall.

As he neared the doors he saw Merlin, and called to her. Merlin turned from where she stood, the hem of her light blue dress spinning as she did and she threw up her hands in relief.

"Arthur! There you are!" She replied walking to meet him half-way.

"I missed the council meeting, didn't I," He said exasperatedly, throwing his hands up in the air to match her. Not stopping in his walking or his pace, Merlin skipped along to try and keep up with him.

"You didn't miss the meeting; but you're LATE for the meeting. Your father had everyone take a short break and sent me to look for you… Arthur, what happened to your tunic? It's ruined! And I'M the one who has to deal with-"

"Why weren't you at my chambers this morning, Merlin?"

"You gave me the morning off, remember Arthur? Before- " Merlin's speech was cut off by Arthur. Merlin looked up nervously, hands nervously playing with her almost white blond hair that hung down one side of her face in a plait.

"I don't want to know actually, Merlin. I'm already late."

"You already know, you had a drinking party with the new knights," Merlin mumbled to herself.

And soon they came to the big wooden doors to the council hall. Merlin gently tugged on Arthur's sleeve to stop him as he was about to enter.

"Why _were_ you late, Arthur?"

Arthur sighed. "Not now, Merlin."

"Is everything alright? You need water or something?" She asked again gently.

"Not now. Later, Merlin." He repeated, and paused just to look out the corner of his eyes to where he last saw that mysterious figure, before turning his gaze back.

And they both entered the hall.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **There you go, me hearties another chapter, another day, another series of unfortunate events about to come to pass :) Please review and I'll put the next chapter up ASAP thanks :)) x


	7. Saying something to yourself

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Here I am! Told you I'd try to get the next chapter up as soon as I possibly could- hence the "ASAP" :p Yes there are little differences in this day compared to yesterday's… today's… whatever you know the day that's repeating. And I won't make Merlin TOO different from the original apart from the obvious :p. Thanks for the wonderful revvies and I hope this chapter will satisfy. Enjoy :)

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Arthur's POV_)

We entered the hall and father turned, looking stern, then again he always did. Merlin went to join Guais and others at the edge of the room as usual, while I went to stand next to father at the front. To be honest, I wanted Merlin standing by my side again. I nodded to Lady Elise on father's opposite side who nodded back before facing the crowd. She seemed on edge about something, but I barely got time to think more on it when father began to speak.

I wasn't really paying that much attention, something about the fact I had finally turned up and now he could continue, blah blah blah. Something about "Leaks" and "our anonymous source". He must have been talking yet again about these bandit parties that were causing trouble in outlying villages. When I caught the words "the Northern Borders", I made myself more alert. Hadn't we have already cleared the Northern Borders? Father looked to me.

"Arthur, you know what to do."

"Y-yes, father" I replied, but before I addressed the knights...

"Haven't we already been to the Northern Borders though, Father?"

I got an odd look from my father. "Not since these conspirators showed up, Arthur. Our source said they might be found in either the outlying villages there or hiding around the point of an old abandoned workhouse by the river. A… flour mill maybe."

_Mill_.

"A mill?" I whispered to myself. Father was the only one who heard me. Hopefully.

"Yes, a mill! Where is your head today? Actually don't bother, you did drink with the knights last night after all! Sorry about him, the prince is just…"

My mind wondered again.

_A Mill?_

Is that what that woman meant?

What else did she say? _If I walk in that mill I'll….."_

The rest of the meeting went by in a second. I had automatically said something about bringing almost two dozen guards with me and five knights, which I didn't remember even thinking to say. And before I knew it the council was dismissed. Not without a few cross words from my father.

.**...~~TT~~…**

Next thing I knew, I was back in my chambers getting ready to move within the hour. I already had my armour on and was gathering the maps together when Merlin came in, all dressed in her 'boy clothes' as we called them. Only Merlin could get away with being a girl walking around in breeches on an average day. Her hair had grown considerably since I first met her when it was cut to just above the shoulders. She had definitely begun to appear more feminine since then. Hair longer, wearing more dresses, that sort of thing. The sunlight from the windows shone over her beautiful pale white face as she scurried around getting the last of my things packed up. But she was still young and okay so I thought she had a pretty face. Big deal!

Does mean anything.

"Ah, Merlin. Is everything ready?"

"Yes, sire. Colin's out in the courtyard getting the horses lined up, and most of the knights and guards are out there too. And I see your chambers are just about spotless again."

"No thanks to you, _Mer_l_ene_." I always pronounced the "_in" _on the end of her name like "_een"_ when I wanted to annoy her, which was a lot of the time.

A cheeky yet exasperated smile broke out on my maidservant's face. "Well sire, if you listened to yourself last night, you'd remember that you did give me the morning off today, Arthur, so no use blaming me."

And she stuck her tongue out at me childishly and run to the other side of the room giggling as I tried to hit her on her arm with the map in my hand. I opened it up while Merlin was busy and saw a little picture at the top.

Near the line that symbolised the border, and right next to another line that symbolised the river was a drawing of a little building with a wheel on the side. _The mill_.

For a second I could have sworn there looked like fire coming from the roof of the drawing of the mill, and the sounds of screams echoed in my head. But with the blink of an eye, the picture was normal. _Silly. Just the wine. _But then I remembered the warning of the red woman.

Wanting to express my thoughts to my maidservant (and feeling I'd regret it), I spoke up, stopping Merlin in her path to the window with my hand.

"Merlin… if I said that I felt that where we are going will bring something bad to happen that could have been prevented, what would you say?"

I saw Merlin shudder slightly as she pulled a confused face that she turned towards me "Wow that is really strange."

"What is?"

"I just had the strangest sensation of déjà vu, I've been having it all morning-… anyway uh.. what do you mean by _something bad _happening, Arthur?

I paused before explaining "Well just before I saw you today, I was in the corridor and a woman came up to me. She called me by my name, she even mentioned YOUR name, and she warned us not to go on patrol today to the mill" I paused again to see Merlin's reaction before adding hesitantly "She said we'd all die."

Merlin was silent for a while. I didn't know whether it was because she was thinking or she just wasn't paying attention.

The she spoke gently "Arthur- what did she look like?"

"Uhh small, wore a really red cloak with a hood that covered her face, and bright red long hair. Almost unnaturally red."

"Well… I think that we should take her warning into consideration, privately though. Colin shouldn't be told, you know how superstitious he can be. And maybe you should talk to your father about it."

"What, and tell him that I feel concerned about a possible deathly experience that a random woman told me about? What a stupid idea, _Mer_lin!"

"Hey, I'm only trying to help, dammit!"

She turned back to her packing and I felt the annoyed mood I harboured slowly draining away. She was only trying to help. I ask her about lots of things to get advice I only throw back in her face.

I placed my hand back on her shoulder.

"Sorry, Merlin. I will dwell on your words, thank you" I walked back over to my maps and passed one to Merlin to stuff in my bag (that she'll be carrying). "For now though I think we should just carry on like nothing happened until anything else suspicious does. I don't want to tempt lady fate. Oh and by the way,"

I handed Merlin my own trusty knife. She looked up at me, her bright ocean blue eyes meeting mine.

Then she gave me another one of her cheeky smiles.

"Awwww Is little prince Arthur worried about his servant?"

Being answered by one of my brilliant signature glares and exasperated huffs she added in the most innocent voice she could "Okay Okay I'm going to the stables. Oh, and I'll also try not to spill a whole barrel of wine down myself on the way down there like some clumsy prat I know!" She giggled as I tried to grab her again and she ran out the door with my bag, unfortunately avoiding a clap over the head.

Grabbing my sword and taking one quick sweep of the eye round the room, I followed her to the courtyard.

…**~~TT~~…**

Night fell, and after about eight hours of non-stop riding, my twenty-two strongest guards, five most trusted knights and my two loyal servants Merlin and Colin and I settled down in camp.

While most of the guards prepared their beds for the evening, Merlin and Colin joined me and the others round the fires which were cooking many deer we had hunted earlier. Well… Okay, the GUARDS had hunted them. I would have done if Merlin and Colin hadn't have scared all the game I was hunting away.

"So," Merlin started, seizing a spear stick and stabbing a deer leg on it and passing it to me "What happened this morning that made you realise that you couldn't last a simple morning without me?"

This confession was so humiliating, especially in front of the knights, who obviously remembered more of last night than I did when they kept trying to stop themselves from laughing.

And then I had to let slip that I kept tripping up on my way to the hall.

"Damn it, I didn't tell you that!"

"Yes you diiiiid" Colin sung, and beginning to laugh. "You're turning into one of us, Arthur. Admit it! One of us. One of us. One of us!-"

Merlin joined in on the chanting and the two started slowly leaning towards me acting like the living dead about to eat my brain.

Soon even the knights joined in (which was very hard not to do when Merlin's and Colin's childlike behaviour influences them like a contagion) and soon I was on the ground being poked and tickled from every direction begging for mercy. It was all fun in the end, and all negatives doubting thoughts were pushed to the back of my mind. _Maybe it wasn't important._

…**~~TT~~…**

Watching the actions of the day play out, the hooded woman stood hidden in the shadows of the trees, shaking her head as if to convince herself that she still had a chance– maybe not today, or tomorrow. But sometime.

But hope was quickly slipping away.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **There you go. Hope you enjoyed it and left you pondering. Next chapter up soon :) Revvies please please please x


	8. It's been so long

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hello here we are, the next chapter. Hope you like :) BTW I apologise for any mistakes I may have made.

…**~~TT~~…**

_This is _it.

Why did I keep thinking that?!

The prince had been given word from a guard coming back from patrol of the surrounding area, saying that they had tracked the bandit party to only some ten minutes away from their camp.

That's where they were now. Riding slowly in silence around the North boundaries until they saw a sign to stop. The forest had become quite dark and eerie in the last five minutes and it became increasingly hard to see and keep quite when the whole forest had stopped breathing.

A bush rustled about fifty yards away from their party in the trees. Arthur turned his head sharply towards the movement and seemed to be the only one who had noticed. He could have sworn he saw a red cloak peering out from behind a tree in the shadows. But it was now too dark to see next to anything ten feet into the forest on either side on them, so he had to shrug it off hesitantly.

But then ahead, voices could be heard that caught everyone's attention.

Arthur threw his hand in the air quickly, a signal for all the knights to stop.

(_Arthur's POV_)

I threw my hand in the air, and dismounted quietly. Everyone followed.

There was a _thud, _and an "_Oof!"_. I rolled my eyes up to the canopy and turned round slowly, only expecting to see Merlin sprawled out on the ground beside her horse being helped up by Colin. All she could do was wince and mouth _sorry _to everyone. We waited a moment to make sure the bandits ahead didn't hear Merlin, then the knights and guards unsheathed their swords and followed me.

Soon we reached a clearing. Low mist covered the ground, patchy from years of having flour crates dragged across it, leaving it barren of green.

"What is that?" Colin whispered.

"It's a mill." Merlin added, face frowning as if trying to remember something.

"It's an old flour mill" Arthur whispered back, also seeming anxious "Now be quiet." I turned to the men.

"Guards, surround the mill and wait on stance. Knights, Merlin, Colin with me, we are going in for the arrest. Still close."

"Yes sire" they all whispered obediently.

While the guards circled the mill from the outside, the knights, Merlin, Colin and I crept round to the door, crouching below the windows to avoid being seen.

…**~~TT~~…**

The men were trying to show their brave faces, but they were breathing heavily already. I could tell they were nervous. And I couldn't blame them.

I moved to the other side of the door and gestured for Sir Leon to stand in front of it, ready to open it.

I looked around at the guards in their positions, and down the line of knights along the wall of the mill. I then looked at Merlin, directly under the window second in the line, and she looked scared, sword trembling slightly in her hands. I motioned with my head to tell her to stand beside me, and she did so without hesitation, leaving no gap between her side and mine. I waited for the sudden uproar of laughter coming from inside before the order.

"Ready….NOW!"

And Leon barged the door open.

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Normal POV_)

"GO! GO! GO!"

Knights began piling into the building, swords drawn, and confining the group in a circle in the middle of the room.

When Gwaine called out, Arthur, Colin and Merlin entered, each equally with swords unsheathed. The prince made his way to the front of the group, and Merlin and Colin stood poised on his each side. Only then did he realise the group already had their own swords and crossbows at the ready. _Maybe they DID hear Merlin. Dammit!_ _They were expecting us!_

"Who's your leader?" Arthur called cautiously.

A big bear of a man stood right near Merlin spoke.

"Name's Olever." He answered, a little too calmly in Merlin's opinion. "And this is your trap."

With that, the only door to the mill slammed shut. The rush of air being blown through the gap in the door snuffed out most of the candles. Only one lit the room dimly. You couldn't even see the rafters up ahead. More outlaws must have come from nowhere and locked the door from the outside!

With the distraction of the door, Arthur didn't see Olever shift to his right and was ready with a knife.

Merlin did. But a little late.

"Arthur, Look Out!"

"Nooo!"

The Prince realised they had let their guard down and he spun round back to meet Olever with his sword in front ready to defend himself. But instead he was hit with incredible pain. A grunt escaped his lips as he looked down at the metal stuck half-way into his stomach and the blood beginning to seep out of the tear in the chainmail. He looked back up at the man who at that point wrenched the knife back out again, its tip drenched in his blood.

He couldn't contain the energy to remain standing any longer and as he swayed and fell to the floor heavily, he felt someone collapsed on their knees next to him and lift his head up to cradle it. It was then he could hear the echoed sounds of metal on metal and a fight breaking out, slowly being drowned out by the cry of my name, and the approaching darkness.

…**~~TT~~…**

The red women didn't need to be inside to realise what had happened. That was different, she thought.

But then again, THIS reality of the day had happened before.

So many times before.

This was different, she thought. But not different enough.

_There will be no salvation this time either_, said the lone tear, repeatedly sliding down her pale cheek._ Why do you do this to yourself?_

_It's been 361 days. They'll never be free._

More tears and a headache joined it, mocking her. Mocking her for having the devil for kin.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Dun Dun Duuuuuun. Uh oh what's happened? Until next time people :) please review


	9. Desiderium

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Here we are people, another relatively quick update. Thanks again for the reviews. Keep 'em coming :) Off we go then, to finish another tragic day. Like I said: Dun Duuuh Duuuuuun!

BTW I apologise for any spelling mistakes if I have made them.

…**~~TT~~…**

"Do you suppose they're all alright? I always worry when they have to leave on these missions. The more men Arthur takes, the more danger they're running into" Gwen asked the old physician while peering out the window, squinting at the invisible horizon.

"I'm sure they are fine, Gwen. Arthur's survived much worse, so have Colin and Merlin. All they have to do is make arrests. They have got many guards with them for protection" Guais replied as he walked around the physicians' quarters cleaning up his equipment.

"I know, Guais. I worry so. I bet tomorrow afternoon they're all going to be riding through the gates being hailed and cheered, and the bandits being dragged behind them being pelted and sneered at the way they only deserve."

Guais finished cleaning up and walked over to join Gwen at the window, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hear Hear, Gwen." He smiled. "And don't worry- I worry too."

…**~~TT~~…**

"Arthur, No!" Merlin and Colin cried out in unison, staring down at the body on the floor.

Merlin dived to his side, just as Olever signalled to his men and all of Arthur's knights found themselves surrounded and aimed at by rugged men, each with loaded cross bows in their grasps.

_Crossbows. Why did we not bring crossbows?!_

The whole room froze, before Leon shouted out. And all the knights charged.

(_Merlin's POV_)

I rushed to Arthur just before his head followed his body onto the hard wooden floorboards. I kept calling his name close to his ear as I cradled his head in my arm and on my knees, and put a hand over the mortal wound in the prince's stomach to try and slow the bleeding. I could see it was causing Arthur great pain and energy just trying to stay conscious.

Out the corner of my eye I saw that Colin and the others were already in combat.

And falling.

Sighing shakily, tears threatening to fall, I raised my head to look at Olever.

"Please… I need to get him out of here. He needs a physician." my voice quietly came out as I was trying to stop myself from crying.

"No" Olever said, his voice on the other hand seemed a little too calm and confident. "If the guards come crashing in here, NO-ONE gets out of here!"

"They don't know! Don't you realise that, they can't see! They're fi- Please… just unlock the door!"

"You want to get us killed?!"

I gave out a frustrated and exhausted sigh as I realised that I wouldn't be able to get through to him, and that this could be it. If we DID get out, then the bandits would be killed now with the charge of attempted assassination of a prince. Soon to be actual assassination. If we didn't get out, then Olever would get away.

"If Prince Arthur dies….. Just please. It doe- It doesn't have to be like this."

Olever glanced around and looked like he was thinking. But then he looked back down at me and Arthur.

"Yes, it does." He replied confidently.

My eyes widened at the word he said next.

"Fire!" Olever shouted, and his men released their crossbows at the knights.

Then all hell broke loose.

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Uther's POV_)

I stood staring out the window with a goblet of wine in my hand. Thinking of my son.

Thoughts that fled my mind with the sound of the doors opening and closing. Then Elise stood by my side holding a jug, to which she refilled my goblet. I saw her set the jug down and join me in looking out the window.

"Is all well, Elise, you seemed distant today?" I asked.

"I'm fine, my Lord." There was a long awkward pause before her voice once again echoed in the large empty hall. "I just have the strange- " and she paused again.

This time I turned towards her and saw her face was full over angst and discontent. "What? Say what you must."

"Well… nothing, Sire. It's just me being concerned for Arthur, that's all" She then locked eyes with me, and her eyes looked empty, exhausted.

"Have you been sleeping?"

"I've just been having bad dreams. Ones that concern Arthur… and fire."

"Do not concern yourself, Elise. I also am, but there's nothing to worry about. They're just dreams"

She sighed and put on a smile I knew was forced. "I'm sure, Sire. I shall retire."

She started to walk out but I did catch what I thought she said to herself. _God save us all._

And I couldn't help but think exactly the same thing… but why?

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Merlin's POV_)

We were outnumbered. What happened to the guards outside? Everyone around us were dying.

Arthur was in my embrace. Colin had been struck down by an arrow. Lancelot by another. Elyan. And Gwaine were still fighting but wouldn't for much longer.

Dust and flour particles hovered in the air around us. Wooden rafters creaked above us. The bandits seemed unstoppable. They were killing us all.

Tears slid down his cheeks. I looked down and placed my hand gently on Arthur's cold cheek and stroked his jaw with my thumb, wiping away the little drop of blood that slowly escaped out the corner of his mouth. There was too much blood soaking into the old wood and streaming from under his armour.

He opened her eyes to stare into mine. We both knew. His blue eyes were hazy and unfocused, and turning to grey right in front of me. The tears I shed fell from my chin onto Arthur's skin.

I looked around and saw those eyes everywhere, from friend and foe alike, life no longer could be visible. Knowing that Arthur was nearly gone, I looked up again for the last time. To see Olever, holding the last candle in his hand, and a sword in the other.

My eyes widened once more, but most of me had also given up. My magic was too weak to be our salvation now.

"Please… You're in charge of everything that happens, you know… And it doesn't have to end like this." My voice cracked, trying to use the last amount of energy to plead for mercy. My hair around my face had turned a dark golden colour due to the amount of tears and sweat that it had absorbed. My chest hurt, my eyes stung… and _God save us _my heart will stop soon_._

"It DOES have to end this way!"

And with that everything went into slow motion. The candle fell from his hand to the floor, the fire from it feasted fast on the dry splintered wood. It spread like oil on water, in the direction of the large stash of flour that was kept at the side of the mill.

Olever too looked horrified as he realised he wouldn't have time to run. All the others (few that still survived) still didn't realise.

My last thought as I saw the flames race towards their destination was _Arthur, forgive me. God save us all. I have failed._

And an involuntary scream left my lips, one last plea for our souls.

"Please no…"

And then the whole world went hot red.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

…**~~TT~~…**

The explosion could be heard several miles away, as bells were heard being rung from nearby towers.

She had to shield her face from the debris that was blasted outwards and upwards, beyond the clearing. The tears and headaches were again beginning to form.

Staring for a few more seconds into the fire, she was about to make her way back when a voice rung out.

"Desidia!"

_Oh no. _Without looking away she called back "Coming!"

But she turned and walked away in the opposite direction of the voice, not wanting to meet them.

Not after what they did.

So once again, she headed back. Back to Camelot. Back to the castle. To watch the window of Arthur's bedroom.

Where she knew, for the 362nd time, the prince will soon be waking.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Ooooooh another terrible series of events! Thanks for reading, please review and next chapter will be up ASAP :) Soon we will know what happened the first day. A little fact for you:

Desidia (des-ee-dee-ah) is a female name formed from Desiderium, Latin for 'Regret'. Interesting...


	10. The day many days before

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Here we are, another chapter. Sorry it's taken a little longer than the others but I've been busy with college stuff :) who knew Art could be so time consuming :p Just a little note: Yes the name Guais IS Latin and as far as I know, I have just been spelling it the way it's spelt in the show. But if anyone thinks differently let me know :D Okay then… Thanks for the revvies btw more pleeeeease, and hope this pleases :)

…**~~TT~~…**

There is a saying "You're at death's door". You go there when you're gravely ill or injured, or even old.

What we never want to acknowledge is that we 'fool' with death everyday.

Everyday we play the 'knock and run' game.

We knock at death's door and step away. We just hope he never answers.

But someday he will.

And on this day, he never stops answering.

…**~~TT~~…**

The day before:

(_Arthur's POV_)

The day started out with me and Merlin riding through the forests on a typical cold-tainted autumn morning.

I had managed to shoot down a couple of pheasants and a few rabbits, but as usual was unable to even approach the place of a grazing deer.

That's what you get when you bring women on hunts. I'm sure that maidservant of mine was deliberately making as much noise as she could so the game could get away from what would be (with my brilliant aiming skills) certain death.

"Merlin," I started casually. Not looking behind at her "Would it be so hard for you to be quiet for at least a minute while there's deer present. I'm sure Camelot wouldn't be very amused with going through another winter on an all bird and rodent diet!"

I could hear shuffling behind me to know that Merlin was fidgeting around in her saddle. _We have been riding for only half an hour!_

"Well, _sire_" She replied "It's not like you couldn't cope with a few rat stews now and again. Besides, it doesn't matter if we continue to hunt rabbits because they breed like…. Well, what they are. Whereas, deer only have a certain breeding season and it's quite rare for a doe to have more than one fawn. So in conclusion, if you keep shooting all the adult deer down, there won't be many left to fill his pratness's belly to last through past Christmas."

There was a long pause. My face held an expression of shock and in some respect admiralty. Though I didn't show it. In the end I just stuck with…

"You've been hanging around Guais and Colin too long, Merlin."

"I care about the balance of life and death", Merlin mumbled to herself.

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Normal POV_)

Absorbing themselves in their childish and playful banter, neither of them could have seen two, shady figures watching them from behind an old crumbled wall of a ruined building. As the horses passed, they stepped out from their hiding place.

While Desidia looked anxious and dread-obsessed, Fatuma, in her ice blue cloak swirling around her legs in the breeze like ocean waves, only grinned as she lifted her head up at the thought of her domain of chaos growing ever bigger.

She clicked her fingers…

Her eyes shone white…

Her companion looked away…

Words were silently spoken…

"And soon with the whispers of a foolish and arrogant creature, would bring about the downfall of a mighty empire. A human."

For these whispers began with:

_I wish..._

"Merlin, what say you… of wishes of repercussion?"

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **There we go people. Sorry it couldn't be more action-packed but once again I'm trying to paint the scene :p And who can guess at what 'Fatuma' (Fahrt-oo-mah) might mean. It's Latin, and don't get it mixed up with the word _fortune_ :) And what could be happening? Hmmm… {tapping finger on chin}Hoped you liked, please Review :) :)


	11. Had she been so weary

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hey guys didn't want to keep you waiting like last time :p here's the next chapter. Let's crack on. Enjoy :)

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Normal POV_)

"_Merlin, what say you of… wishes of repercussion?"_

Merlin sped up her horse at Arthur's question to ride next to him "What do you mean?"

"If you could change something that happened in the day, like, if something went wrong and you could go back and change it, would you?"

He turned his head to look at his maidservant, who he found was already looking at him in a confused way. "What brought this on?"

"Just answer, Merlin."

There was a pause as Merlin thought of his rather sudden and awkward question. After a few seconds passed, she spoke up, still hesitantly thinking. "We… always have days when we think they could have gone better than they did. But it has never actually occurred to me before to wish that I could go back and put it right."

"Why not?" Arthur asked, surprised at her answer, and rather curious.

"Because… I know that would be a waste of time doing so. Because I know there'd be no point in making such a wish because it's not going to come true. It's our own job to correct the mistakes we make, in our own time. Not a wish's. Besides, who's to know that if you did get that power, the events would still go the same way anyway, no matter what we did to try and change them."

There was a lot of logic and truth in Merlin's words, he thought. And that was why he often asked for her advice and opinions in situations, because hers made the most sense, whether he liked it or not.

"Yeah, I guess." He muttered.

Merlin looked back at Arthur and saw his eyes were back on the path ahead, screwed up slightly because of the sunlight.

"Arthur, what made you ask such a question?"

Arthur looked at her again, making little glances to the side so he knew if his horse would tilt off course.

"Remember yesterday? I was called to the hall to meet my father?" Receiving a nod in reply, he continued. "Remember the day before that? When there was that attack on the lower town by former knights who had been stripped of their knighthood and wanted revenge?" Another nod. "Well that was sort of my fault. I… messed up and they ended up getting the blame. Simply because the king didn't want to have to scold his own son. Their families needed support. Their children needed food, their wives needed protection. Without their bond with the king, they might as well had died, their families with them. No wonder they decided to cause trouble. If it weren't for me those boys would still be alive. The next day, I went to my father to try make him let me carry the blame and responsibility like a prince should. He wouldn't listen. Typical. He said- _A prince shouldn't take the responsibility of an error in battle. That's what knights are for_." Arthur made his voice go a bit deeper than his own to imitate his father's, which Merlin snorted at (in a non ridiculous-looking way).

"And I just think… that if there are going to be times like that, I just want to believe that I could fix it so that it would help and spare… everyone."

There was another long moment of silence. Merlin felt the guilt and discomfort her master was feeling and wished herself that she could confide in him like he just did with her. Alas, he wouldn't understand.

Then the words the women were waiting for arrived.

"I wish that I could go back and change mistakes. I wish that if a day was destined to go badly, I could just keep going back to the start to make it go right again. I wish I could fight fate."

…**~~TT~~…**

The words became aloud like an echo underwater, which only the two cloaked women could hear. With that, Fatuma's eyes cleared to white once more, hiding her pupils, and her hand rose to meet the back of the retreating prince's head.

"You have no idea what influence your words will have on your life, Arthur Pendragon. By the end of this day and the beginning of the next, you shall have your wish."

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Another shortie, that's weird :p Gonna tell you what that name means now the name Fatuma means 'Fate'. Hmmm interesting. Fate and Regret. Well Thanks for your reviews and we shall carry on with this soon :)


	12. The First Time

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Here we are, back to the Thursdays but this is the first original day before it starts repeating itself so this will show what happened (hopefully). Before we go on, what about that drabble bug eh? Spreading like the plague :P Aaanyway off we go then :) enjoy!

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Normal POV_)

Arthur woke from his musings of his conversation with Merlin the previous day.

The ride in the morning, the meeting with his father, the knighting of five new young men, and the loud messy after-party he held in his room for them before giving his servant the morning off in a giggling drunken state, trying to show off in front of his new friends.

He found his room had become a wine bath that had marinated all his tunics, except one, which had simply been thrown on the embers of the fire for some sort of non-funny prank.

Slipping in the puddles of red and remembering that his servant hadn't come in because she was given the morning off, Arthur had to get himself ready and race to the meeting he was seriously late for.

His father only wanted to report that more bandits had been sighted conspiring around the border and he wanted his son as usual to go out there and get them.

The prince had to go through the humiliation of confessing to his servants and knights what happened to Arthur last night and the state he found his chambers in that morning, while out on the ride.

The party barely had time to settle in their camp after their meal when a guard alerting them the bandits were close by disturbed them from their evening, resorting them to follow suit.

Tracking them down to where they were reported to be hiding out, an old flour mill, Arthur sent his guards to space out around the building as back-up and his knights sir Leon, Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival and Elyan, as well as his servants Merlin and Colin, joined him in force-entering the mill and surrounding the group.

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Arthur's POV_)

Everything seemed to happen at once.

The bandits were expecting us.

They launched an ambush on us.

Merlin was fatally wounded in an attempt on my life.

Everyone else around me was either dying or dead. The knights, Colin, everyone.

I felt tears threatening to run down my bloodied cheek as I cradled my almost lifeless friend's body in my arms.

This was one of those times I was explaining to a very Alive Merlin only yesterday. A time that I could correct given the chance.

A spark was working its way through the air and everything went into slow motion. We'd all be dead soon.

I looked down into the eyes of my serv- friend… and to my sorrow, saw the light leaving them right in front of me. I felt the tightness in my chest crush my heart between my ribs. At least that's what it felt like.

That did it for me.

Knowing that I only had a few slow seconds left to the end myself where it would be too late, I thought to myself _it couldn't do any harm to try now._

I lowered my head so my chin hit my chest, and all I could hear was white noise and the sound of my unsteady breathing. I screw my eyes shut and tried not to think about all that had happened, and yet ONLY think about all that had happened.

And so I started my whispered prayer that only I and the Lord could hear.

_Please_

_Please, God, Please…_

_Let us live_

_Let me go back a-and change what would have been_

_This isn't fair…_

_Let it be that time-_

_God, save us all_

The white noise was becoming unbearable with each word I spoke. Until suddenly… it stopped… not a second after I finished. Now all that was, was a deafening silence.

…**~~TT~~…**

I kept my eyes closed; curious as to why the world had stopped, but too scared at first to actually SEE. Is everyone now dead?

And I don't usually admit that I'm scared.

The first thing I could make sense of was that I could no longer feel a body in my lap. Without opening my eyes, I moved my hands around in the empty space in front of me. Nothing.

Panic suddenly went up. _I've lost Merlin! What have those curs done with her?!_

Knowing not to act without thinking, I took my time to register the situation. But then remembered I hadn't opened my eyes yet.

So came the task at hand, I slowly peeled my eyes open and was greeted by nothing but white. It was blinding. Almost like I was surrounded by the sun.

There was no visible line around me that showed a division between the wall and floor, either were there any windows or doors. If I was in a room at all.

A light mist came from nowhere and began to swirl around my knees like waves lapsing at the shore,

They almost looked like… clouds.

_Was I dead? Was this the kingdom of Heaven? Were Merlin and the others here too?_

Realising I was still crouched on the ground from where I held Merlin, I stood myself back up on shaky legs, and looked around at the featureless room. If it even was a room.

_What happened? Where's everyone else? I want to see them!_

"Patience, young Prince!" A women's voice called out, firmly yet softly, like speaking to a child. I whirled around to find the owner of the voice behind me. "If you wait, you'll see them again soon."

Not at the time stopping and thinking about how she could have known what I thought, I took the time to take in the appearance of who I was being 'greeted' by, and noticed that she barely stood out against the room herself.

Her hair was white, although she was young. Within the hair hid shining blue jewels, making it sparkle as if melting snowflakes had landed on her head.

Her skin was white and smooth, as if sculptured from snow.

Her shift was silver and the tail of it dragged on behind her, seeming endless. It was also tailored with the most detailed images, so small from the distance we stood apart, it was hard to see what they were.

I caught that as the mist moved, her feet were bare but they didn't look worn or cut. They looked perfect. Everything about her, too perfect.

At the top of her arm near her shoulder there was a symbol. It stood out more than anything about her because this symbol looked like it was burned into the skin. Red and fresh. Yet brown and old at the same time.

An eight on its side. Infinity.

In her left hand she held a staff. At least it was being used as a staff. It was a long crooked stick, but it was clear, as if made of glass or ice.

Her face was beautiful. Eyes were a piercing silvery blue, as were the woman's lips. Not blue as in looked cold or dead. But physically, literally blue. Like they were painted. But dry, and cracked.

They parted to show a sly grin that spat evil, but at the same time, showed friendship and warmth.

She was breath-taking in her mystical being, but it stung the eyes to stare at her for too long.

Her presence both amazed and disturbed me.

After many moments of silence to suss her out, I figured the best way to get answers was to speak. Obviously...

"Is… Is this heaven?" I asked hesitantly.

Her grin grew at my words.

"This is wherever you want it to be. We are nowhere."

I paused to take in her answer, but before I could ask her anything else, she spoke again casually.

"Now I believe you pleaded for my services, lost one."

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Oooooooh Dun Duun Duuuuuun. What's going on :P Well stay with us to find out. Thank you for you revvies, keep 'em comin'. Next chapter will be up as soon as I can :)


	13. Bitter souls have many siblings

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Next Chapter yaaaaay! Sorry its taken so long :( Here we are soon to the end of the mystery to begin the journey to the cure. What will Arthur find out? Well read on and see :P Thanks for your fab revvies, please share your opinions on this story, I'm all ears (and skin, and bones, and blood, etc) Enjoy :) BTW I'm sorry if I have made any mistakes in spelling or grammar...

…**~~TT~~…**

"_Now I believe you pleaded for my services, lost one."_

Arthur stared at her, wondering what she could have meant. But before he could speak, she did so before him.

"You're about to ask some questions. So let me answer them to ease your curiosity. My name is Fatuma. I am the sprite of Fate. You are where the physical world doesn't reach us and where time is not effected."

"Like… the Never-world?" Arthur asked hesitantly.

She smiled sweetly at his theory "If you like. But think of it as a very dark hidden away corner of the Never-world, empty and uninhabited."

Arthur took another few seconds to take in the strange landscape (or lack of). _Well if the "dark" corner is just this bright, I wonder what the living space is like._

She continued "I'm a goddess of the earth. If you like, I am one of the_ bastard_ children of the natural elements. There are many of us, but we don't really chat. You may have heard of my brothers Tempus and Rem. "Time" and "Reality". My sister, Lady Luck? There are also my other brothers and sisters that make up the seven deadly sins. Watch out for Lust. But let's just focus on me shall we?" She boasted. "I am what you humans give my mortal name, Fate. If I didn't exist, everything would stop. Nothing would be destined to happen. See my importance?"

Arthur noticed that the whole time she had been talking, her right hand never left from covering her heart. Meaning 'Eternity'.

"Now Arthur, I believe you pleaded for my services?" She repeated. Arthur realised that she had taken a few steps closer to him, though he did not take any further back.

"Errrr…" he started. "I don't plea. And even if I do, I don't think I'd plea for _you_" he sneered at her as if she was something with three heads.

Fatuma simply laughed "Oh come now, Arthur. Don't you remember?" Her last words only sounded as a whisper before she throw her hand up into the air and clipped her fingers, the sound of it thundering through the seeming infinite space. What followed it, made Arthur freeze and feel his blood run cold.

All around him, he could hear the loud and echoing voices of men yelling and swords clashing together. It was so loud Arthur had to cover his ears, though it didn't even reduce the volume by a long shot.

Then, through the _yells_ and _clangs_ and_ thuds _storming through the air, the prince could just make out another voice. It was quieter than the others, but as he put all his focus into trying to hear the words of this familiar man's voice, it began to push itself out into the open.

Then it so all started to come back to him.

_Please_

_Please, God, Please…_

_Let us live_

_Let me go back a-and change what would have been_

_This isn't fair…_

_Let it be that time-_

_God, save us all_

"Noooo!"

Arthur hadn't realised he had screwed his eyes shut and lowered himself down onto his knees until the echoes of the past subsided and he peeled his big blue eyes open again.

He couldn't believe it!

Everyone was dead!

Leon was dead.

Gwaine was dead.

Colin was dying.

Merlin was…

Was _he_…?

…**~~TT~~…**

Arthur shakily got to his feet and turned on the spot. The woman, Fatuma, was still there, but something was different.

The world around them was no longer white, but pitch black. The only light there was to still see eachother with was a bright white spot light beaming down on to two of them from above somewhere, in a circle that must have measured only ten feet in diameter.

Fatuma was sitting on the ground, staff gone, hand still remaining over her heart, eyes looking up, just glaring at him. Friendly manner gone. Bitter manner replaced.

"Do you remember now, Arthur Pendragon?" She sneered, their eyes never leaving eachother's. "The plea you made in the final seconds of your lives? The wish you made before hand to have the power to 'correct' the mistakes you think were made that were simply not up to your standard because it wasn't fair to you?!"

Her voice had risen in volume during that sentence to again carry the tint of an angry echo passing through the now non lit corner of the universe. Arthur winced at not only the loudness cutting into his ear, but also the heartlessness of it. He could feel his own anger building up inside his chest, and chose to let it out.

"What do you mean _not fair to me_?!" he yelled, taking the last few steps toward her, bending down and meeting her face to face.

He continued "My friends are dead! Innocents have been killed! A young girl's life has been taken before my eyes! If that is of your doing, I will make sure you never ruin the life of another and never be in charge of fate ever again!"

He watched as Fatuma slowly lifted herself up from the black ground and her now softer eyes met his once more.

Then she spoke, that smooth, quiet, child-lecturing tone had returned.

"I am very sorry for your loss, Prince Arthur. But that is the way of the world. If God intended to pick off just the evil of this world, this world would become a _very _dull place. Innocents must be sacrificed for the balance and the good of the future the world is destined to see."

Arthur stared at her for a few moments, letting his angry and grief wash to confusion. "And what's the future destined to be?"

The evil Smirk reappeared across the white woman's face that Arthur did not see for she was turned away from him. And he only heard her answer in the sweetest, most innocent voice she could deliver.

"Chaos, Prince Arthur… Glorious chaos."

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Hey. Yea I know, not very much happened in this chapter. And sorry it's taken so long to put on but there have been sooo many things on my plate lately. I'm going to be updating a little longer than usual for a while to get college stuff out the way. Then I promise I will get on with these, so please keep hanging on to that cliff, coz I promise I'll build a stairs :P

Thanks for your revvies everyone. I'm flattered at the number of people that have added this story to their story alerts and favourites. Lovit!

Anyway thank you all for your patient waiting, hope you're liking it so far and I _promise_ to update as soon as I can. See you next time :)

P.S. Yea Fatuma does seem a bit like the snow queen from Narnia doesn't she :P trust me I didn't use her as inspiration for her appearance. If you've seen Tim Burton's Alice and Wonderland, think of her looking a bit like the white queen from that :)


	14. A decision never to be made

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**So far: **Arthur made a desperate plea to save the lives of himself and his friends, and next thing he knew, he appeared in a white endless place, in the presence of a strange lady; Fatuma, Earth Goddess of Fate and Infinity. And unbeknownst to Arthur, she's really out to meet her own ends.

**AN: **Geez, people all I see on here are drabbles drabbles and more drabbles. Must be coz people are runnin' out of story ideas 'til series 4 comes. But the stories that are out there are still very good :P Anyway, thanks for being patient, people. Sorry it's taken so long. Here is part 3 and final part of the first time and hope it explains a lot. Enjoy :)

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Arthur's POV_)

"_Chaos, Prince Arthur… Glorious chaos."_

I stared at her again. Everything that came out of this… _woman's_ mouth was complete gibberish. Bit like Merlin…

Merlin

Thinking about her and the other's where I left them really hurt inside. If this was where I thought this was heading...

I looked back at her. "What are you trying to get at? Are you saying that you want me to make a deal?"

"Do _you_?"

She was right. I hadn't thought about it enough. I would've jumped at the chance to undo the terrible ending to the day, but I still didn't know much about this woman. How did I know I could or couldn't trust her? But still I _so desperately _wanted everything to be okay. To hear Merlin's voice and laugh again.

"No… No, I don't know. You're hiding something." I hesitated. I saw in her face that she knew all the answers to everything in the whole world and she was not about to give as simple an answer as to what could be done about a few lives that were taken too soon.

Fatuma's glance shifted from my eyes to the orb that balanced on the top of her staff that had appeared again. And she smiled, staring into it as if it had told her the most wonderful news. "I hide nothing, Arthur. Tis' one of my perks. I cannot keep information from any customer, even if I wanted to," I wasn't given the chance to snide and point out that I wasn't a 'customer'. "Very well, I will not dance around you forever. Kneel."

I slowly lowered myself on my knees and stared up at her as our positions were reversed and she stood before me, looking at me as if to say _Now who's looking down at whom?_

"This is your choice, Pendragon. I'll tell you what you no doubt want to hear. Once I'm done talking, I will ask you a question and you will either answer yes or no. Do you understand?!"

I nodded. She took her hand away from her heart. Her chest was almost transparent. Her heart could be been pumping under the skin glowing a bright red against her pale white complexion. Her eyes went cold and dark, and as she spoke her voice was deeper and echoed throughout the _room_.

"This is what I do. I help lost souls get their lives back. Once the wish is made seconds before death, like a siren call, I come and I collect them and give them the chance to change. I can give you the gift of going back as many times as you want and put the day to your right. Wake up dry; arrive on time for the meeting, save the lives of your friends. And all I ask in return is one day of your live per day you take going back. That's a petty price to pay for the safety of mankind. There is no catch. Say yes and the power is yours immediately and you get another chance at life. Say no and you go back to the life you left behind, or lack of one as the case is, and you and everyone die. And Camelot loses its son and heir and falls into death and destruction. It's your choice."

Five seconds. Five seconds to decide.

"What will it be Arthur Pendragon? Yes the world needs the lives of innocents to keep balance with the evil put to justice but this does not need to happen. Lancelot, Gwaine, Colin, Merlin. They can live once again. Save their families and friends from the heartbreaking grief, your father and Kingdom falling to the ground… Yes or No!?

Okay. I'm being given a wonderful thing. This won't ever be given to me again… well, obviously because if I say no I'll be dead in five seconds I go back. And so will everyone else. But they're already gone. Okay, Okay. Think!

If Fatuma's true to her word and all she wants is for the kingdom to live then why am I hesitating? All I need is a few days at most. Colin's parents will still have their son, the knights and guards will live to defend Camelot another day and Merlin's mother and Guais will be spared of being alone. The kingdom will have a future and father won't be the only target for its downfall. What have I got to lose?! Apart from a few days off my life.

"Yes…. or No?"

The heart in Fatuma's clear chest was beating rapidly now and the heartbeat was starting to hurt my ears and the red glow grew brighter and hurt my eyes. "Can I have a few more minu-"

"_Yes… or… No?!"_

Here it goes.

"….Yes."

Then, as quickly as a lit candle being blown out, everything went dark.

Fatuma smiled menacingly.

This is going to be fun.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Hope you enjoyed it and sorry again it was later than usual. I'm kind of losing the deadlines a bit aren't I :P Keep with us coz the next chapter is hopefully coming soon, and thanks for all your revvies. I really like readin' them. Please gimme more :)


	15. Desidia attempts again

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hey we are, quicker than usual. Sorry the previous chapter was a bit short wasn't it? Maybe this one's short too I don't know. Harry Potter's out now! Aaaaaaaaargh!... (cough cough). Sorry. Can't wait to see it! History and magic in the making :P Anyway, enjoy :) I hope I haven't made any spelling or grammatical errors.

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Normal POV_)

On his way down to the lower courtyard in full armour, Arthur decided to cut through the market.

Wandering around the streets watching everyone in their everyday duties was one of Arthur's secret pleasures. Just seeing what the people of Camelot did to get through life both made him feel good about himself, and felt pride for his people being able to keep on top after all the attacks they had survived through recently.

A crash sounded across the stools as a ragged dog with a leg of deer meat in its jaws leapt over the stands, knocking several bowls of vegetables to the dirt ground, and ran past the prince towards the end of the market. The force of the speeding dog just knocking his side sent Arthur stumbling and just about regaining his footing quick enough to see a man appearing from the same stool the dog had jumped from and was sprinting in the direction the thieving creature was last seen.

As the man rushed past the prince, Arthur caught him by the shoulder.

"You really ought to do something about that wretched dog, you know. That's another time he's stolen from the meat stores!"

He let the man go and as he was continuing his chase the man called back over his shoulder "Don't know what you're talkin' 'bout, m'lord! I've never seen that dog b'fore in my life! Oi, Come back 'ere you ruddy –"

Thank god he was too far away to hear the end of that sentence.

That was odd, Arthur thought. _I could have sworn I've seen that dog rob meat from the store before. On numerous occasions. With the same man sprinting after it. Still, one time is still one too many._

He continued his trek through the market place.

Looking around at the many things stewing in jars and hanging from hooks, Prince Arthur didn't realise a cloaked woman was following him until she tapped him on the back of the shoulder frantically. He spun round to meet face to face with a young woman with long, wavy, bright unnaturally red hair and wearing an equally bright red cloak. Her expression looked very troubled.

"Arthur Pendragon."

"…Yes?"

"Don't you remember me?"

"…Errrr-"

"Please. Don't go on patrol today."

"-Excuse me!?"

"Fatuma's waiting for you there. And Olever. Please, don't go today of all days!"

Arthur looked blankly at her. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"You pass me every day. You talk to me every day. THIS day. Then you go to the Northern borders and everyone dies. You, the guards, your knights, your servants, Everyone!

"This day?" Arthur replied, unsure.

"YES!" Desidia felt she made some sort of breakthrough. "Only last time you looked at me as if you knew me… like you remembered." Arthur just kept looking at her. "Y-you must remember me… w-who can forget me?"

Before the exhausted girl could try again, a voice rang out behind Arthur. "My Lord!" It was Sir Leon and Percival. "We're ready to go!"

Arthur turned back to the red woman. She looked right into his eyes, begging him to listen. But as if someone had flipped a switch, Arthur shook his head, as if trying to wipe a thought from his mind, and spun around once more and jogged to where Colin held his horse.

Desidia watched him hoping, praying that that wasn't all for nothing. That something clicked.

…**~~TT~~…**

Surrounded by thugs in a mill.

The sound of skin being ripped open, the cries of men and sword metal clanging together filled the small confined space.

Arthur found himself and the head bandit Olever in a fighting circle, pointing their swords at eachother's chest.

Before he could blink, Olever jolted suddenly to the side and grabbed Merlin by the waist as she was fighting someone else and pinned her back to his chest, with his sword held under her chin.

Arthur froze.

"I'll kill her!"

"What do you think I'll do then?" Arthur snarled angrily.

Olever looked hesitant and frantically looked around for another weapon when he found and picked up a lit candle, and also held it near Merlin's face.

Arthur reluctantly lowered his weapon to his side and himself into a crouching position on the ground to check a bleeding Colin's pulse. Doing this, he didn't break eye contact with Olever.

"Olever… he's not dead. You won't be charged with murder- yet... you can still end this."

"Please, don't- " Merlin started before the sword Olever gripped tighter jerked into her neck and drew blood.

"We can end this the right way." Arthur finished, just trying to think of anything else to say to ease Merlin away from him. "Don't hurt anyone else. More men are coming. There's no way out."

All the madness and determination left Olever's face instantly and was instead replaced with an expression that read _given up, no way out_.

"Y-you've got more men." The leader's grip around his servant's waist loosened enough for Merlin to wriggle free and away to her master's side. Arthur gripped her arm as tight as he could without hurting her and looked into her eyes to silently ask her if she was alright. A little nod returned his answer. As they looked back to the leader, his head was pointed upward and his eyes were screwed shut. A clear sign of surrender.

But to who?

In slow motion, all focus went to the hand holding the candle, which a second later _didn't_ hold the candle any more. It was already falling to the wooden floor and making a chain of fire along the ground towards the flour sacks. Arthur made to reach for the fire, not thinking about what to do when he did get to it. _If _ he got to it in time. Which he didn't.

Merlin looked up from where she was knelt beside the dying Colin on the other side of the mill, to see what was to happen.

And she and the prince screamed in unison.

"_Noooooooooooooo_!"

…**~~TT~~…**

Desidia crouched behind a tree and covered her head with her arms in time for the explosion to reach the end of the clearing, splints of flaming wood flying past. The red-head witch sobbed into her cloak, before slowly peeling her arms away from the sides of her head to peer around the side of the tree to take in the devastating scene she had already seen too many times before. Shaking, tired and terrified, the Earth Goddess of Regret and Anguish stood back up on unsteady legs to make her way back to the streets of Camelot.

The heat of the fire burned at her eyes more than the lack of sleep already did.

When will I ever get some peace? When will we _all_ get peace, she cried in her head.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Hope you liked. Beginning the journey to wrap-it-up so PREPARE YOURSELVES :) see you soon for next chapter.


	16. The Wrong Side

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Here's the next chapter. Sorry it was so late but I had no computer access while I was away. What I DID see though was the 1 minute 30 second San Diego Comic con trailer of Merlin series 4, and the bloopers, both on YouTube. I shouldn't have done it! God, why did I do that? Now I'll NEVER last till the series comes on :( Aaaaanyway, Enjoy :)

P.S. Argh I just watched it again!

**...~~TT~~…**

A thousand years ago, when the concept of destiny was born, a little redhead girl joined forces with a goddess named Murma.

She didn't have a name before then. She was found wandering around the banks of the River Arklah, baring nothing but a tattered dress and mudded skin.

Murma, being the kind and sympathetic soul, took pity on the recently made orphan and took her in to raise her as her own sister. Being no older than five years old, the girl became quickly dependent on the stranger.

Murma, also being at the time a mere charge of the small things in the world like the rivers and the trees, desired to become the goddess of a greater power, one that effected everyone and everything in both the known and the unknown lands. A power like Fate.

Her want for promotion growing greater than anything else in her life, Murma decided to use her adopted sister to her advantage. The one emotion that holds most living things back from doing bad is guilt, an emotion she felt all too often, especially when she looked into those big bright brown eyes and saw the mother and father of the child she accidentally killed with the river she controlled.

In order to achieve her goal, she would have to rid herself of this human fear, at the same time not allowing the death of two parents go to waste.

Upon the dawn of the girl's sixteenth birthday, Murma sat her down and told her the truth. Amongst all the anger and grief she felt, the fiery haired girl could not blame her guardian. The white headed goddess then went on to explain her wish to appeal to her higher powers and become in charge of fate, and that she'd need her little sister's help to do it. Knowing all the woman had done for her, taking her in and raising her when no-one else would, she agreed.

…**~~TT~~…**

The little girl had been named Drada until now. Now that name no longer suited her. After being emptied of nearly all of her own emotions to make room for something as filling as Murma's guilt, she was renamed Desidia and given the title of Keeper of Regret.

Murma also got her place as controller of Fate and found her name wasn't worthy of being carried on people's lips without a taste in their mouths. So she as well changed it.

'Fatuma' carried on her work for many years without a hint of doubt or regret in her power-mad mind. Her greatest achievement in her opinion was bringing a message to a carpenter who shared his saviour son with the mightiest of gods, but lost him at the age of thirty three to a neighbouring king who didn't want a challenger. As always, the goddess' usual guilt she would be feeling because of it drained into the head of Desidia, and so Fatuma carried on like normal.

Centuries later, Fatuma found she had a rival. Destiny, herself. And she was on a project of her own. Fatuma heard of a certain future with a certain king in it where everything would prosper and grow. Peace would put the silver headed seer out of business. Without disaster and chaos, Fatuma realised she couldn't perform her side of Fate, the death and destructive side.

Realising one of their own was getting out of control, her superiors limited her from power over the whole world to a small growing kingdom called Camelot. Fatuma found out that this was the very city foretold to produce an heir who will become the almighty ruler of all time, and that a powerful creature (gender undetermined) would guide him.

This was Perfect! All she had to do was wait, until she could meet the boy himself in time and use him to create the world in her image.

When the time finally came, she had managed to persuade the young prince to let her repeat his certain doom, and the world as everyone knew it plunged into constant darkness.

Desidia would watch from the sidelines and observe as many innocent lives were lost day after day in the same way, over and over again.

…**~~TT~~…**

Many, many years of endless guilt building up inside her (and not just Fatuma's), started to make her see her sister's faults. Slowly deciding that the woman who had cared for her for so long, had made her immortal, wasn't the same anymore. Desidia couldn't allow any more pain and suffering be apart of these people's lives, even if they didn't know it, and made it her mission to stop it.

However, her sister's magic was far more impregnable than she thought. No matter how much influence she tried to have with the people involved, their deaths were still the determined outcome at the end of every day.

Secretly she envied them. They were free of the torment. Free of the madness. Of the consciousness of time passing and repeated death. They didn't have to hide in the shadows and watch helplessly as their bodies burned with the building to be their resting place for a mere few hours.

363 days gone. Soon any chance of breaking the spell would be lost forever.

_He's lost nearly a year. He will lose many more because the game is rigged. Lying isn't like don't telling the truth. Fatuma just left out the part where the prince would have to forget the deal, forget he's trapped._

_Words were wasted on him and his friends. It's always the same._

Everyday Desidia had known Fatuma, Drada known Murma; she always said the same thing before she went to sleep.

_God save us all_. Because she always knew deep down one day her older sister would go too far.

If the Keeper of Regret had to disobey the woman who acted as her guardian for a millennium, and bring about her downfall (no matter how hard and long it would be), then so be it.

…**~~TT~~…**

**AN: **Hope you liked it. You know, a little character background building thing…

Next Chapter will be up real soon and things will be starting to get through :)


	17. Her Plot Weakens

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **It's back :) And on we go! I apologise for any spelling mistakes if made...

…**~~TT~~…**

The Prince of Camelot strolled quickly through the stone corridors of the palace to reach his chambers, to prepare for patrol.

Finally passing the threshold, instead of finding his servant packing supplies away and gathering up his armour, he found a different young woman inside that definitely wasn't Merlin. With her fiery red locks as apposed to brilliant blonde, it was hard to mistake her so. In fact she was actually putting AWAY his armour that Merlin or Colin had probably left out previously.

She had her cloaked back to Arthur so he wasn't sure if she knew he had arrived. So the prince cleared his throat and held one hand hovered over the sheath of his sword.

"Excuse me?"

"Merlin's gone to get your horses saddled. I told her I'd manage everything in here," she announced calmly while continuing to lift the breast plate onto the top shelve on the armour cupboard.

Arthur approached her slowly. "Well, to me, it doesn't look like you're helping Merlin "manage" things. Looks like you're putting everything back…" He appeared by her side and reached to take the heavy breast plate from her. At first it seemed to the woman that he was going to aid her in getting the armour part into the cupboard, but instead he turned round with it and placed it gently back onto the large table in the middle of the room. The woman watched him, and gave a sigh of frustration.

"I was only doing the right thing," she called across the room, observing Arthur as he strapped his armour to his chest. He went back to the cupboard next to her and took out the rest of the parts, and once again continued to put them on until his body was covered securely.

Once he was done, he patted himself on the chest, content with his work and turned to the strange woman with a confused expression.

"Right thing? I'm going AWAY on patrol, I've not come back."

"Really!?" The woman threw a hand to her chest, pretending to be shocked. "I was so sure it had been cancelled or you had just got back. This armour looks like it's been battered pretty badly already, Arthur."

Arthur snorted "HA! Well, that's Merlin for you. She's not very good at getting the dents out- Wait… Hold on, who are you anyway to speak to me in such familiar terms?"

A feeling of something hitting the pit of her stomach deeply disappointed her. For a few minutes since Arthur walked through the door, she convinced herself this time Arthur remembered her. She took a deep breath.

"I am-"

"Have we met? Thinking about it you do look familiar."

Her breath hitched "R-Really? We pass eachother in the halls and streets everyday. This day. Usually you just walk right by me without a glance, but the last few times, you've looked at me. Like you knew me. Like you remembered. I'm Desidia?"

His face showed nothing but more total confusion for a few moments hence. Desidia began to feel panicked.

"Why, what's going on?" The blonde asked slowly.

Desidia rubbed her hand across her forehead. "We keep having this conversation," she said to herself tiredly.

Arthur looked at her strangely, he had heard her anyway. Until he worked it out.

"… Is something bad going to happen on patrol today?"

Desidia looked Arthur in the eyes, "Every time I tell you something's going to happen, you go off anyway thinking you're prepared and can handle it and that's when it all falls apart," she whispered, her voice breaking at the last few words.

"What's going to happen!?"

She opened her mouth to answer but lowered her head instead, "I can't tell you directly. All I can say is that you CAN'T go. YOU'RE the one who made the deal. It has to be you. I've tried talking to everyone else. Your captain, Leon, your servants, Merlin and Colin. Even the King!"

Throughout this speech, all Arthur did was stare at her, either genuinely trying to believe Desidia, or simply pretending to be interested and had already decided to throw her in the dungeons for being mentally insane.

"It's my sister… Fatuma. She is no friend to you, Arthur Pendragon. I've tried everything to stop her, honestly. I've hid her staff, I've drugged her… I even alerted the kingdom's guards on her myself. But the day's always the same, she never stops- She's not meant to."

"Wait, hold on. I don't understand. You say this day has already been lived before? And more than once? How?!"

Again, the Keeper closed her eyes and huffed, "This is probably the one hundredth time you have asked me that-"

"Well then, one hundred and one, what's the answer?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Her outburst of built up frustrated rage made Arthur stumble backward a step.

Desidia cleared her throat to compose herself and looked at the floor between them.

"I don't know how she does it but… don't you see? We're all hanging in hell. And I am the only one who's conscious of it."

There were a few moments of silent tension between the 'strangers'.

Before anything else could be said, Merlin burst through the door, all dressed 'boy-up' for a long ride and stopped dead in her tracks. "Hey, Arthur, we're all-"

She paused when Arthur, who had his back to her, turned and stepped to the side quickly, giving Desidia and Merlin a clear view of eachother.

By the feel of awkwardness in the room, the servant in breeches didn't really want to know what they were doing, so instead blushed and stuttered, hoping her prince didn't notice how wide her eyes had grown.

"Um… sorry, err, sire, for interrupting but I see you are all… armoured up. So if you're done, err, talking," Merlin hurried to collect the bags by the door and scampered out without looking back, or finishing her sentence, and leaving the door to smash against the wall in a hurry.

Arthur gave his own frustrated sigh and rolling of the eyes and turned back to Desidia, who looked at him in return anxiously. "Don't go," she whispered.

The prince's eyes darted from the woman's face to the door, to the window where the knights were ready in the courtyard below, and back to Desidia.

His face showed an expression of mixed emotions, but soon wriggled its way to mere apology. Then he spun around, grabbed his sword belt from where he took it off near the table, and fled from the room without a second glance behind him.

All Desidia could do was stare nervously at the spot where the prince in shining armour stood a few seconds ago.

…**~~TT~~…**

**AN: **Hope you liked :) Please review. See you soon!


	18. One Step Forward, A Year Back

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hey everyone! Whoo! Doctor Who's finally ended, Glee's taking its break and Merlin is back too, just a reminder :p Anyway, I was in the middle of my next chapter for 'Thursday, Thursday', but the laptop was being a jerk and the chapter I was working on got wiped or misplaced. So I've had to type it up again. So sorry for the late update. College work may also cause updates to be a bit delayed but I'll do my best :) So enjoy!

**BTW: **Congrats to **Just Celia** for giving the 50th review of the story. Thanks to all of you for reviewing and being patient :-)

…**~~TT~~…**

Hours later, the knights were well into their ride. The forests had developed an eerie mist that swirled around the horses' hooves, and the entire area had become silent from lack of birdsong. With the trees growing so close together, if it wasn't already sunset, the little sun there was wouldn't have been enough anyway. So attached to each saddle of each horse was a lit lantern that were barely visible in the fog.

But when it became too dark, even with the dim candle light, the party was forced to set up camp. Also the fact was they were approaching where the bandits' hideout was said to be and they didn't want to give themselves away simply because they were afraid to trip up in the dark.

They had only intended to take a break for half an hour to stretch their legs, eat the game they killed, and allow the horses to drink. But thanks to Merlin and Colin and their antics drawing in the whole patrol into attacking the prince into a fit of undignified hysterical laughter, they had gotten a little behind schedule.

As Leon and the rest of the knights and guards started packing up again quietly nattering amongst themselves, Arthur walked around the outside of the clearing, putting his gloves on and trying to calm his laughs down under his breath. He kept glancing up at both his servants as they helped eachother with the packs hung up on the sides of the horses. Talking and laughing. Including Arthur in their childish games. The prince had never been treated like that before. Being tickled and poked half to death by his servants in front of his best knights, all vulnerable and mockingly begging for mercy. And he didn't even feel embarrassed or angry. For some reason he found it strangely refreshing. It may have showed weakness to a certain extent, but it was only in front of his men who knew him, who he trusted with his life. And they treated him like a human being back, instead of a two dimensional heir to the throne and nothing else. Thinking about it, that only started to happen after he met Merlin. So, maybe Merlin was the best thing that ever picked a fight with him… and threw in jail.

He smiled to himself as he remembered the first day they met. The pretty boy-looking teenager almost punched him in the face!

The sound of a stick snapping in half, in turn snapped _him _out of his thoughts. He turned his head sharply in the direction of the sound on his left, only to see amongst the darkness and greenery outside the clearing, that strange woman, Desidia, was hiding and frantically waving him to come hither.

…**~~TT~~…**

(_Arthur's POV_)

I looked over my shoulder wearily to check no one else had noticed the red woman's arrival. Thankfully, not even Merlin had heard the twig break despite usually having disturbingly brilliant hearing. No, she was still happily chatting away with her brother figure where the horses stood. So I crept away out of the dimming light of the dying campfire, into the shadows outside the clearing.

My eyes were held on my knights in front of me for a bit longer as I snuck backward until I could feel my visitor's warm breath on my arm, which I found surprisingly since I was wearing about three layers of clothing including my armour.

Keeping my head forward I looked out the corner of my eye at the woman to see her jerk her own head to the right, signalling me to follow.

A few minutes later we were slowly walking through the forest in no particular direction, weaving in and out of the tall oaks and shrubbery. We walked in silence until Desidia, I think her name was, began to speak, sounding a bit distracted.

"You came", she claimed calmly, never once looking at me, but above her head at the tops of the trees, almost admiring them as if we were strolling through the gallery back at the castle. Watching her intrigued me; I almost missed what she said.

"Well, I didn't really have a choice, did I? You were waving me over-"

"I didn't mean just now. You came here on patrol anyway even as I was the last person you spoke to. I told you something terrible is going to happen if you do, and you go anyway?" Her eyes locked with mine though our slow pace did not falter. Her voice had gotten louder as she spoke, seeming somewhat hurt.

"Well I don't understand what you mean when you say something is going to happen and we're all going to die. We're in danger of dying wherever we are. You warned me and I'm grateful, so now I'll know what to expect and get this sorted out."

"You had that attitude before but you can't take control of this, Arthur!" She snapped and stopped in her tracks abruptly, and turned to look at me straight on. Instead on hurt, now the air around her swam with anger and frustration. "Talking to you right now is only one of the many attempts I've tried to stop the same day from being lived. If you turn around right now and take your men and return to Camelot, you'll be saving dozens if not hundreds of lives! You have no idea how lucky you are that you don't even know how many times this has happened already, and if you did, you'd go insane. Everyone will die, why can't you grasp that?!"

I simply stood there staring at her, not really knowing what emotion my face expressed. The last few words of her speech echoed throughout the whole forest, or was it just inside my head?

(_Normal POV_)

Desidia' plan wasn't so much to make Arthur go home, but just keep him and the others, who would follow like sheep to their shepherd, away from the mill for as long as possible. If the time that they died at passed them or it officially became the next day, that must mean that they will be safe from then on. The approaching time they usually perished at was within a mere few minutes. She felt finally this would break the curse.

However at that moment, sounds of swordfight and screams cut through the silence of the forest. Realisation hit Arthur and Desidia like a mace to the gut and before the seer could hold him back, the prince had already started racing back toward the camp.

…**~~TT~~…**

"Where did Arthur go?" Merlin paused in strapping the saddle to Sir Leon's chestnut mare to glance around the clearing for the prat. Colin, concentrating on his own task, didn't neither look up nor turn around himself. If Merlin didn't see the prince he wouldn't either. Which means he wasn't in the camp.

"Probably gone off to… you know…"

"Oh right, gotcha," she winked, a sign Colin needn't say no more.

Gwaine then decided to strut over to where the servants were packing up and helped Merlin who was having trouble with the saddle strap.

"When did you two stop talking about how gorgeous I am?" he asked jokily, finishing the strap easily and then leant lazily against the horse on his right.

"Always the charmer, Gwaine" Merlin giggled, copying his actions opposite him. "If you're not careful that ego of yours will overgrow Arthur's. I'm not sticking around when your brain is splattered all over the barmaids and tavern walls."

Gwaine threw a hand to his visible chest in mock disgust. "I'm hurt, Merlin. I thought my beloved of all people would take great pleasure in mopping up the most handsome rogue in the kingdom's inner head."

"Ooooh I would, 'my handsome rogue', but I wouldn't want to take that 'pleasure' away from your many other jealous 'beloveds'."

"I've only eyes for you" he gave the cheesiest yet heart-stopping grins.

"Yes of course, Gwaine. Like you also have eyes for Gwen?"

"Well-"

"And the baker's daughter..."

"Ah, well she-"

"And EVERY barmaid in 'the Rising Sun'-"

"Alright, you've made your point, Merlin. You've got him. Now can you help me with these bedrolls please?" Colin intervened, before hundreds of lovesick girls got their hearts broken.

"Oh alright fine, Colin" Merlin giggled again, and stuck her tongue out at Gwaine before returning to her fellow servant's side to help him.

"Yep that's right Merlin, do as your man tells you."

"Oh you-" but before the maidservant could spin around and slap the teasing knight, there was a loud cry from behind them, and all three looked to see countless guards that had been lining up being struck down by a wave of flying arrows.

The knights sprung into action, unsheathing their swords and racing toward the approaching intruders ready to strike.

"What's happening?!" Colin yelled above the sounds of both war and death cries, looking back and forth as men from all directions were being cut down with swords and arrows alike.

Leon called out, dodging in front of them. "The bandits must have found out we were close!" He turned to the two hurriedly "Colin, Merlin, get Arthur, the horses and yourselves out of here now! Quickly, before it's too la- Argh!"

A sword tip poked through Leon's stomach splattering his blood outwards, before retreating back out of him to let him fall. The head knight's body hit the ground with a thud to reveal a tall, bulky-looking bandit behind him, blood thirst evident.

Colin and Merlin dodged out the way of his swinging sword and sprinted to the edge of the clearing. Before they passed into the cover of the trees, Merlin grabbed Colin's hand to stop him.

"Colin, you get the horses tied to eachother and get ready to ride back to Camelot for help! I'll get Arthur! Go!"

They separated and Colin ran back into the heat of battle, as Merlin ran into the forest to find the prince. Colin will be okay, she thought. He has magic like myself. He can defend himself. Arthur can't have gone too far from camp. Where the hell is he?! She didn't hear the raven-haired boy's last cry behind her.

About two hundred yards away from the knights, she stopped, out of breath and her hair coming out of its loose tie and turning dark gold from the sweat on her forehead. She could see the black silhouette of a man moving fast towards the scene, but just a second after she yelled the name of who she thought it was, she screamed out as she felt a sharp agonising pain taking over her body spreading from her chest, and as she barely felt her legs collapse beneath her, everything went from blurred to black.

…**~~TT~~…**

The sounds of battle grew louder and louder as Arthur got closer during the first seconds of his race back to camp. He hadn't realised how far away he had walked in the first place! And now his men were in trouble!

However, although he knew he was nearing his destination, the yells and screams and sounds of swords clashing together got harder and harder to hear now. A cold feeling grew in the pit of the prince's stomach.

Despite the darkness of nightfall, Arthur could make out the clearing in front of him and the sight terrified him. No-one was on their feet. Several yards before the quiet camp, through the sound of his own heartbeat pulsing in his ears, he heard someone scream his name. Merlin! The prince felt a new burst of energy flow through him as he made the final effort to get to his friends.

But he found it was too late.

Stopping dead in his path, he crumpled to his knees gasping, not just from lack of air in his lungs, but because of the sight of the bloody massacre of his knights, guards, bandits, Colin and Merlin.

_No, No, No, No, No_,he shouted inside is head. How could this have happened?! We weren't at the mill like the woman said!

The man lowered his head in exhaustion, grief and disbelief. The smell of smoke and blood filled his nostrils and silence deafened his ears. He screw his eyes shut to allow a tear to fall and punched the ground with a furious and broken grunt, only earning him a powerful ache in his hand. Fatuma and Olever had won again!

Before he could even think about getting shakily to his feet to find his 'source', he felt something sharp rip through his abdomen. In a daze he had managed to subconsciously stab the surviving bandit back until his attacker dropped dead on the forest floor, already painted in blood.

The adrenaline started to wear off but the hurt remained, in more ways than one. The glorious pain lasted not one second after that before he too laid on the ground, unmoving. Welcoming the darkness.

Nearby, Desidia was feeling at a whole new low. If they didn't even have to be at the destined location to meet their end, then nowhere was safe. What to do now? _God save us all_.

…**~~TT~~…**

**AN: **Hope you liked it and was worth the wait. It was pretty evil wasn't it? And longer. Hopefully the next Chapter will be up quicker than this one was. Reviews are food for the magic maker. They are much loved :-)


	19. Impact?

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hey everyone, here is Chapter 18. Sorry it took so long, but it's also short. Hope there are no spelling mistakes :)

…**~~TT~~…**

Arthur shot up in bed, breathing heavily and silent tears running down his cheeks. Since when did the prince of Camelot start crying? The pictures were so vivid, the sounds seemed so real. But they never were.

He calmed his breathing and leant his weight on his arms, staring at nothing. That is until his gaze fell on the window. Or rather, what was on the other side of it. Realizing what the time was, he was about to shift when he felt wet sheets beneath the palms of his rough hands. Oh God, I haven't had I? He cringed.

He hesitantly looked down at the bed covers and frowned, screwing his face up, and then looked around at the state of the room.

_Wine_?

…**~~TT~~…**

Days went on as if Desidia's warning never came to pass. Arthur of course after every day, would forget her and the same thing happened anyway.

Everyone died. Uther was told. Camelot mourned.

The goddess of Regret had long since given up on holding any hope to break her sister's spell. But where her mind had given in, Arthur's was only just starting to wake up.

…**~~TT~~…**

Flashes would burn at the prince's eyes every time he came across a familiar scene he didn't understand why, and got the mildest sensations of daje vu. Like the morning banter with Merlin and the tickle fight in the forest. But he always brushed them off as memories of his dream, just by dream standard, still felt too real.

However, one crisp morning on a Thursday, which felt like he kept having, Arthur started to doubt that the things he was seeing were only real in his head. But that didn't make them any less of a nightmare.

…**~~TT~~…**

On the 365th day, armoured up, the prince walked through the market on his way to the horses. This time he was with Merlin, struggling to hold his bags.

As he looked around, his eyes rolled over a woman in a very vibrant coloured cloak with the hood up, leaning against the wall of a house. She looked awfully tired, and seemed to be just watching the world go by. Arthur halted abruptly in his pace, enough to make his servant behind him barge into his back.

"_Oof_! Arthur!" She exclaimed, and weaved around him to walk on ahead, giving him an annoyed look as she but he didn't see it.

He kept his eyes on the woman as he approached her. She spotted him coming but gave no reaction whatsoever.

"Hey, sorry. Do I know you?" He asked.

"Do you?"

"You just look familiar to me..."

"Do I?" She answered quietly.

A few moments went and that was all he got. A vacant yet polite stare. "...No? Well alright then. Sorry to bother you." He nodded in both goodbye and apology and could not walk away fast enough.

The young woman only stared after him. After all, what was the point?

A crash sounded and everyone in the path of a running straggly dog had to dodge out the way. Arthur however at that moment, jumped INTO the animal's way and tackled it to the ground. Wrenching the deer leg meat from its jaw, he let go of the dog so it carried on running, barking as it went. A yelling man appeared round the corner and stumbled to a halt when he saw the prince with the meat.

"Ah! Thank ya muchly, Sire! That wretched thing-"

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again alright?" Arthur breathed as he passed over the leg to the man and jogged over to the horses. He was already late.

Desidia had seen the whole thing in shock. Could he possibly...?

But he's still riding to his doom.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **There you go, Chapter 19 will be up eventually. Again sorry this was so late and sorry it's so short but this was all I could do at the moment with the time I had off from college, but Christmas is coming up so hopefully then there'll be more time to write. Reviews are still much appreciated. See you next time :)


	20. Conviding in the Clueless

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **I'm baaaaaaaack! Yaaaaay! I mean, I've always been here, updating my other story till I had enough inspiration to carry on with this one. I won't lie, I had a little writers block on continuing with this. BUT, I have reread it, gone over the chapters, freshened them up a little, and I have added to 'chapter 18: Impact?' to build a proper bridge to the next update. So if you haven't reread that chapter to remind yourselves what had happened, you can do that.

But thank you so much if you are still following this fic because I know it's been more than a year, I'm so ashamed! I never wanted to leave it on hiatus for this long. But I hope now I can get it rolling again and finish it. Last I left it, I said it was nearing the end anyway. So if I do this right it will perhaps end in two good sized chapters. So sorry again and big thanks to everyone who has hung on.

Plus now I have updated this story after the end of the show so I just want to say a big love-filled goodbye to it, but that shall not stop our writing for years I should reckon.

So without further ado, enjoy :) BTW I apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes I hope I didn't make.

**...~~TT~~...**

(_Normal POV_)

The men had made their camp, and while the guards patrolled the area, the knights were talking amongst themselves round the fire. Merlin has just finished unpacking the last bedroll, blowing a lock out of her face that had fallen loose from her up-tied hair.

"I hope this is worth it, Arthur. Colin and I were supposed to be collecting pots for Gaius today. Not that that is any more an entertaining way to spend a day than to go with you and your soldiers to go beat some bandits..."

"Come on, Merlin," Gwaine said while passing, "Where's your sense of adventure gone?"

"It went a while ago, say when we were attacked by thugs, wolves AND an disagreeable farmer with a sharpened scythe ALL in the same week! Remember, Colin had to grow a patch of hair on the left side of his head back."

The knights sniggered behind them and Colin shot her a glare from where he was feeding the horses. She shrugged not so convincingly back.

"And anyway, What help are we going to be when we confront these men?"

"You, Merlin are here to-" Arthur stopped talking and looked sharply to his right, into the trees. Did he see red? Who's out there? Probably just a knight's cloak...

"Arthur?... Oh never mind, what happened to you this morning anyway?"

The prince snapped back to the present. Didn't she know already? I've explained it countless times!

**...~~TT~~...**

The men were preparing to raid the mill. They crouched in a line against the creaking walls so the bandits could not see them. Though if they just looked out the broken windows and squinted, they would probably had seen the Camelot guards moving into position around the clearing.

Arthur went to stand at the side of the door with his sword in his hands while Sir Leon stood at the other side ready to open it.

The prince looked around to make sure everything was in place. The sounds of men cheering and laughing cutting through him. Suddenly one particular part of his surroundings intrigued him. Past the clearing and into the tree line, an insignificant-looking spot of darkness he could not put his finger on... was like something was supposed to be there.

Without realising it, still staring into the black forest, he had begun to softly mutter to himself one sentence, like an echo.

"_It's a trap."_

_"It's a trap."_

_"It's a trap."_

"_It's a trap."_

_"... It's a trap."_

**...~~TT~~...**

"_Merlin_," Arthur whispered and stepped away so he was more hidden around the corner on the building. The girl, confused, slowly got to her feet and crept round the back to meet him.

"What is it, Arthur?" She whispered. The prince stepped closer to her.

"Merlin, I need you to do something for me. I need you to go over there..." He pointed.

"But I thought I was to go in with you-"

"Listen to me- Okay?... This needs to be done right now."

**...~~TT~~...**

Away in the trees, hiding behind a trunk, Desidia stood with her arms around herself, shaking.

Her eyes stung, she didn't need a mirror to know she had dark bags under them. She felt sick, she didn't need someone there to tell her she looked pale. This was never going to stop. Even the little difference of Arthur stopping that dog from thieving the stores did nothing. They were right back here. About to charge into a place they would never leave alive. A year was up. This would be their lives now. Shells forever acting out a play their souls had died in ages ago. A tragedy. Their bodies would start to age and decay and every morning they wake up wondering why. But always forget again.

Why did she allow Fatuma to do this? She was her sister, yet the time she saw her last, was months ago. When she didn't understand why Desidia was so miserable. She had made her immortal, all knowing, a creature in control. But she would give it all up just to fix time again. So no-one died.

"_Isn't it marvellous, 'Sidia? I'll see you again soon, I just have to-"_

_"I know. You just have to sort something out. No worries."_

_"What is wrong with you? Why are you always in a mood?!"_

_The fiery haired girl looked to her sister, sadly, "Because nothing changes..."_

_The icy eyed woman gently held her shoulders," Well don't worry. Things will change, you'll see. A year will be up. Time will move again. Only this time, it will move our way."_

_She could only stare at her blankly. The older woman kissed her on the cheek and was gone._

_"You mean your way," She whispered, a tear ran down her cheek, the one that she could still feel cold lips touching._

The loud snap of a twig shocked her out of her musing. Snapping her neck in that direction, she looked up fearfully to see...

A short, light haired girl with bright blue eyes and dressed in breeches approaching her slowly, with a small sword held loosely at her side.

Merlin?

Desidia eased herself up with the help of the tree behind her, keeping her eyes on the serving girl. Said serving girl was looking at her in both confusion and concern.

"Hello... err, could you come with me please?

"...What?"

Merlin gestured. "Could you just follow me..."

"Why, what is this about?"

"... My master said that you'd know."

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Thank you for reading, hope you liked it. I hope to update soon but again I do not want to make any promises in case I disappoint. I would really appreciate it if you would review this chapter, questions and constructive criticism is welcome. Are you starting to get a clue of what will happen? See you later :)


	21. Negotiations

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter. This is the second to last. Then there'll be an epilogue. Then it'll be over! 0 _ 0

I didn't get any reviews at all for the last chapter :'( I understand people may have forgotten about this fic, I just thought I'm so close to the end I will finish it before the year is up whether anyone notices or not ;p but pwease pwease pwease I so very much love getting reviews, and thanks to everyone who is still favouriting and following this story. Aaaaanyway enjoy! BTW I apologise if I made any spelling errors.

**...~~TT~~...**

(_Arthur's POV)_

I had gone into the mill with the knights already.

Peacefully trying to talk to this man, _Olever._

While the knights had their swords held out in front of them, I slid my own sword back into its sheath slowly and held my arms out slightly from my sides to show I wasn't going to reach for the hilt again. Making myself vulnerable.

Olever stared at me oddly. I bet he thought it was a trick.

"My Lord, what are you doing?" I heard Leon whisper behind my left shoulder. I ignored him.

"I am the prince of Camelot and you are not only trespassing on these lands, but have ruthlessly harmed its subjects and stolen its property too... but I don't want us all to die today."

Olever eyes jumped constantly from me to the sword still hanging from my belt.

What the hell are you talking about?" I took the tiniest step forward.

"You have an unwilling associate out there in the woods. And you have this flour mill dangerously filled with candle light. Not to mention there isn't a member of your group not armed. Something very bad will happen soon, but I won't let that happen, understand? If you and all of your men put down your weapons and walk outside right now and go away, far from here, not I nor any of my knights will stop you," Percival and Leon behind me glanced at eachother in confusion, I could tell. "You're in charge here, Olever."

"You're right there... I never told you my name!"

I ignored him "-You can change your fate." I held my hand out, for him to take. He looked at it like I was going to curl it into a fist and punch him. When it didn't, he nodded. Just tiny nods. Like he was agreeing with someone talking inside his head... he took a deep breath and-

"Men, aim!"

Oh god! I backed up and my hand instinctively went to the hilt of my sword, but I didn't move to unsheathe it. The bandit all grouped together and in seconds drew out their axes, knives and crossbows. Percival, Leon and Lancelot behind me did the same, but again no one dared fire the first arrow or attack eachother.

"You're a liar, Arthur Pendragon!" Olever's yells shook the weak wood holding up the rafters above.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask her!" I motioned to the door as it violently swung open.

In rushed the distraught red woman I saw from earlier, with Merlin following close behind her. As soon as Merlin took in the situation she darted around the woman to get to my side, taking out her small dagger. I held out my arm to keep her from coming closer, in case Olever tried anything. I couldn't let everything go wrong now, I _couldn't_. I didn't quite comprehend why... But I couldn't!

**...~~TT~~...**

(_Normal POV)_

Olever stared at Desidia in shock while she stared at him in desperation.

Olever snapped and pulled out a crossbow from behind his back. The man kept his dagger pointed at the prince's chest, and with the other hand aimed the loaded weapon in the direction of Merlin and the knights. "Get away from them, Desidia. Come over here now!"

"This is NOT going to work, Arthur, you can't be here!" Desidia cried at Arthur, who just stood perfectly still and only had eyes on Olever.

"Lay down your weapons!" Leon and the knights were all the yelling at the bandits, the place was too loud and full of scared and confused people shouting different commands at no-one in particular.

"Put your swords down!"

"Drop them!"

"Where have the guards gone!"

"Arthur? Arthur please explain, I don't understand!"

"Arthur, get out, this won't work!"

"Pendragon, tell your men to stand down now!"

"OLEVER LISTEN TO ME!" The prince belted out above all the voices.

It quieted nearly everyone down.

"You get _her_ out of here, you know who she is?"

"_You_ are dooming her by doing all this! This isn't her fault, this is her! The white one!"

"... The white woman?" the bandit scoffed.

"Yes! She's done all of this! We are but the pawns in her game. And by listening to her, you are making this girl live this day over and over. Not just her, all of us!"

Olever hesitated. "What in God's name are you talking about?"

"Olever," it was the red woman herself who spoke up, a croaky small voice finally heard in a shushed room. "Remember when we were children? And we'd play in the meadows, and you'd see that older girl with white hair always call me away? She's Fatuma, my sister. She's who you spoke to once. She gave you a deal. She told you about this place and that if you came here, Arthur Pendragon would be taken care of and you'd have the spoils of a broken kingdom..."

The bandit leader looked between her and Arthur. "I don't remember ever saying two words to that trick-stress."

"Don't you? Olever, you hear her don't you. Inside your head. She's using you. She's used all of us for her own gain. But that's how she works. Fatuma knows no-one would ask if they would remember their conversation!"

Arthur took over. "Every day, this day, you die here. And then the cycle starts all over again because she knows we can't stop what we don't know we are trapped in."

Desidia's turn. "We were best friends, Olever. We are the links being used to create this break in the time chain. Please you have to stop it here, or it won't ever stop!"

"You can't want this for your friend! This is hell!" The prince insisted.

"Hell?!" Olever snarled. "I'm doing this _for_ her!"

They went silent.

"I remember... I don't recall the exact words said between myself and Fatuma, but I know that I never just wanted riches and freedom for my own. I asked your sister for your hand in marriage. She told me I could but only if I went to the Mill along the northern borders of Camelot, and there would be a task to be done. Once it was completed, she would make me a sprite-god and be eligible to marry you." He looked at the red haired girl with soft eyes. "All of it means nothing, if not for you. To take you _away_ from her, I had to cooperate with her."

Tears rolled down Desidia's cheeks as she slowly shook her head. "She's been good to me, Olever, considering. But we can't let her take over. You have to listen to others now, Olever."

But the leader began to shake, feeling isolated and threatened, like a dangerous animal huddled into a corner. He still held out his weapons as his hands trembled. "Put... your damned weapons... down!"

No-one made to. None of the knights, not Merlin, not Colin.

Arthur turned his head to them. "Put them away," he ordered. They all looked at him in shock. "Go on, that's an order. Put away your swords... and step out." _It will be the only way to get as many people to safety as possible. There's flour everywhere. I know what might happen..._

Tension filled the building while every man wrestled with his conscience and instincts to obey their king and leave or break orders and defend him.

Finally, and painfully slowly, one knight after another sheathed their swords and lowered their crossbows. The last to listen to Arthur, obviously, was Merlin. Lowered her dagger to her side, she stood close to her master, slightly turned to the side and tense. Even as the last man, Colin, walked cautiously out the door with a backward glance, the serving girl only backed up a few steps so she was behind Arthur, and beside the strange woman she only met minutes ago.

Desidia took a step forward and held out her hand. "Come on, Olever. Let's just go." Great relieve was settling in. They weren't quite safe yet, but it felt like things were finally going to be alright.

Olever's arms slacked and his grip on the crossbow and sword loosened. His men followed his actions.

Just then, a bright flash of unnaturally white light filled everyone's vision, just for a second. They blinked the blobs away, and before they all registered it, there was another presence in the mill. Standing there like she had been there the whole time.

Arthur, Merlin and Desidia were looking right at Olever in awe. Until the man realised they weren't looking _at_ him. Out the corner of his left eye, he could see a woman's shape, pure white, and it quite hurt to behold. After a few seconds of white noise and pressure in the ears, he felt the ice cold air around the woman shift as she leaned into him, her blue cracked, yet perfect lips millimetres from his ear. None of the others could hear what she whispered, or read her lips. They only knew it couldn't be good.

For they saw in front of them a spark light in the lead bandit's eyes and flare to a roaring fire. Olever's features folded and creased into an enraged expression, one he directed... straight at Arthur.

"_You_-"

Merlin stared terrified at the man as she felt her magic fill her insides and tingle at her fingertips. She didn't care what had been said, but Arthur or no Arthur, she might have to risk using magic right now!

The crossbow Olever held flew right up to Arthur's chest. "YOU SON OF A- !"

"_Noooooooooooooo!_"

The arrow's flight lasted a quarter of a second and hit flesh.

The icy dark smile Fatuma once wore from enticing that reaction from her puppet slipped from her face when it happened.

The sharp head of the arrow buried inches into the skin of the left shoulder... of the person who had leapt into its path to save Arthur. The person who now hit the floor on their side like a rag doll at the prince's feet, and was bleeding out fast.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **Hope you liked this. I would really appreciate reviews to read, I do love them so :) I'll see you later with the last chapter. Ta-ra :)


	22. Epilogue: The unidentified hero

**MERLIN - THURSDAY, THURSDAY**

**AN: **Hey everyone. Well here it is! The end to the story! I'm so grateful to everyone who has waited patiently for updates and even to those who have just discovered this story now. I assure you I did not intend for it to be unfinished for over a year, I hope it doesn't happen again to any more. This will be my last update for a bit, but will carry on with my other stories later on. So enjoy :) I apologise for any unseen spelling or grammar errors.

**...~~TT~~...**

_"Some believe the death of a person is a test given by life to observe how others can cope without them."_

**...~~TT~~...**

She lay there. A pool of blood was growing from beneath her. It isn't what she expected it to feel like. People have often stressed how cold they become, and numb. But instead she felt strangely and pleasantly warm, and could feel the skin around the arrow burning away into her and touching her heart. The only thing she couldn't process was the ground under her, she could have been floating in mid air for all she knew.

She saw blurred shapes moving around her, many of them raced past her on her left, where the door was. She saw red and silver shine in the candle light shift behind browns and black, which appeared closer to her than before, and she heard an echoing thud as if something heavy had dropped to the floor, followed by another.

She sensed a smaller presence behind her, and before she knew it her head was cradled in a gentle embrace, and there was one hand placed firmly on the area of her chess wound, another softly laid on her forehead.

One more person was near. One that, even through her warm haze, still gave her chills right to the depth of her fastly escaping soul. Her vision focused just enough to see the identity of that person, those long locks of silvery white hair falling over the shoulders as she leaned forward enough to dominate her view. The symbol engraved into her arm now looked so raw, so new, it was practically seeping fresh bleed.

As she raised her head as much as she could so icy blue eyes met her own, she saw in them something she had never seen before. Tears. _Regret._

And cracked lips moved slowly to croak out her name.

"Desidia...?"

**...~~TT~~...**

(_Merlin's POV)_

Did that just happen? Was I actually too late to save Arthur?

I was on the brink of using my magic, though it may not have acted in time. The arrow had been fired at Arthur, but if it was not I who would take it, it was the mysterious woman in red Arthur had told me to meet in the forest.

She slipped past me and leapt in front of Arthur with a cry before I could comprehend it.

Now she was lying on the floor and the chaos has stopped.

As soon as everyone had realised what had happened, the bandit leader, Olever, just stood there. Looking down at the woman with a vacant expression. Both his weapons fell from his grasp on to the ground with a dull thud. A sign for his men to also stand down. All around us, the bandits practically threw their crossbows to the side and fled in a line out the door. They'd be arrested by the knights waiting outside.

I thought about the woman again. She hadn't moved an inch. While everything was going on, there was no-one else tending to her. I went to the woman and knelt at her side, gently lifting her head onto my lap. I could feel her blood sinking into the fabric of my breeches but thought nothing of it at the time. I could tell it was too late, but without thinking, my hand still went to put pressure around the wound, the arrow was best left in.

_I don't understand what was going on! Who is this person before me? How did Arthur know her? And who the hell was this other being who has just appeared that sets my teeth on edge. I feel I have every reason to hate her for some reason... yet Arthur isn't acting remotely like I thought he would..._

**...~~TT~~...**

(_Arthur's POV)_

The red woman just saved me! I thought Olever would listen. Whatever that other horrid woman had whispered to him, it was obviously to cause trouble. And now I wasn't the one dying. That brave mysterious girl was in my place. Seeing Merlin go to her, I dealt with Olever, who seemed to have given up. He fell heavily to his knees after discarding his weapons and just stared in front of him. I went round behind him and made sure his hands were tied, while I assumed my men saw to arresting the others.

The woman in white, I almost forgot about. She seemed unimportant now. I only half registered her out the corner of my eye, slowly walking toward the two people on the floor. I would have been more weary of her doing something else like harming Merlin, but by her pace I was given the impression that for her, she had also given up.

As I marched Olever out, I caught the red woman's lips move, but I never caught what she said. I bowed my head as I went over the threshold. The Red woman would had passed before I returned.

**...~~TT~~...**

(_Normal POV)_

Desidia looked up as best she could at her sister, it was getting harder to breath with every second passed. She knew with all the power she had, being only a 'keeper' for the gods, there was never a guarantee that mortal death was out of the equation.

The only thing that stood out amongst the whole situation, to the fire-headed young woman, wasn't the fact that everyone was unaware of the extension of time they were getting, or that the prince had remembered enough to change the path they faced. It was Fatuma, who she had not seen in person for months, finally turning up not to visit her, but to stir things up only when she could sense she was losing. Now she was here. She could have left ages ago, but she was still here.

"De-Desidia..."

The irony of having spent so much time apart, a whole year to have a heartfelt conversation, there was no more time for that now. It was too late.

There was only time for Desidia to say one last thing.

"That's new..." She gave a small smile, that slipped from her face a second later. Her eyes slowly closed and her chest stopped rising. Merlin, who was still holding her, took her hand away from the wound since it could no longer help.

Fatuma remained kneeling on the ground beside them, her eyes stayed on her sister until the last possible moment. A lone tear ran down her cheek as she raised her head to look at the serving girl. This girl, who had no idea of the horror she among others had gone through the past year, held the woman the goddess loved in her arms like a friend and a stranger at the same time. She knew nothing about the people she had pulled into this little game of hers, yet in the end it was none of them who paid the price of it.

As deep blue eyes locked with her ice blue ones briefly, she had nothing to say, only to turn around in sorrow, and disappear from view completely and forever, before any questions were asked.

**...~~TT~~...**

A distant crashing noise jolted the prince from his slumber and he looked around. He had to sleep in a guest room the previous night, while his own chambers were being cleaned and ridded of the strong smell of smoke and wine.

Arthur sat up in bed, arms behind him for support, and stared thoughtfully out the window, rays of sunlight seeped through the large gap left in the curtains. There was a knock on the door as it opened.

"Morning, Sire." Merlin tiredly called as she came into the room dressed in another simple blue dress and carrying the breakfast tray. They didn't arrive back at the castle until very late last night.

"Merlin." Arthur greeted. With effort he got out of bed and strolled to the window half dressed. The cause of the sound that woke him must have come from the man on the other side of the courtyard picking up some heavy looking crates filled with apples for his stall. A stall only set up at the market... on Fridays.

Merlin placed the tray down on the desk near the prince and pulled out the chair ready for him.

"Am I late for something, Merlin?" Arthur asked, still looking outside.

"Not yet, but the king would like to see you in the council chambers as soon as you're able. He wants to hear about yesterday and about the men in his cells... and about the memorial service"

"Give it an hour."

Merlin looked at her master as she poured out his wine. "I would like to hear about it too actually."

Arthur turned to her. "But you were there, Merlin..."

"That's not what I mean," she put down the pitcher and went to Arthur's side. "You probably won't explain it in front of your father, but you haven't talked about what happened- how you knew that Olever could have had the whole place burn down with us all inside, that you knew his name, that strange woman in white appearing..."

"Call it a feeling."

"A _funny_ feeling?" Merlin teased. Arthur didn't react. He still stood there captivated by something outside. The girl went serious again at her the prince's manner. "And it was also a _feeling_ that they had an accomplice waiting in the woods?"

Arthur walked away from the window towards the clothes Merlin had laid out earlier. "I don't think she had anything to do with the bandits' activity. I think she was just unfortunate enough not to get away."

Merlin watched the man in front of her questionably as he played with a loose thread he picked off his shirt, saying nothing more.

"Are you alright?"

"I'll be ready in an hour."

The servant sighed, glanced one last time out the window and walked away to leave her master to dress.

Outside, men were setting up a pyre, preparing to send off someone who had performed great service to the crown by saving the prince's life.

And no-one even knew her name.

**...~~TT~~...**

**AN: **_The End_. Well, everyone that's it. Hope you enjoyed the story. Watch out for updates on my other fics and maybe new ones. Reviews are most welcome. I'll see you later ;) Happy new year!


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